


Jumping Earth

by chaosisalwayshere



Category: Blink-182, tomark - Fandom
Genre: Drugs, M/M, NSFW, Smut, tomark - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 22:46:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 39,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5761795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosisalwayshere/pseuds/chaosisalwayshere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rolling with thunder</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry for what I'm about to write...

_“ Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down. “_

Every room, every space, almost every nook and cranny it seemed, there was a body occupying it, and Mark felt like he had crammed himself right in the center of it all. He felt stifled and constrained, barely able to find an open spot to sit and hunker down until the rest of his band mates had made it. It had been to no surprise to him that he had been the first of his band to arrive to 'Fallout Boy’s' get together at the local auditorium. What he hadn’t expected was there to be so many people there, most of which he hardly knew, or even knew at all. If he was going to try and blend, he’d need to try to at least find a familiar face, or at the most, start insinuating himself into a likely group.

As much as he seemed alone, the truth was, he wasn’t. A long time friend, and constituent, Pete Wentz, had been trailing him from a distance since he arrived. Mark hadn’t been aware of Pete until they finally had actually run into each other, a chance meeting Pete had been devising since he noticed the spiky haired bassist.

“Mark! Hey man, where’s your crew?” Pete asked in a nonchalant manner, leaning on the nearest stable structure to relax himself. Mark shook his head, turning the phone he had clutched around in his palm. He stared at the black screen a second, contemplating whether he should call Travis and Tom to see if they were even coming.

“I don’t know, guess they are meeting me here. How you doing there Pete? You look a little sober,” Mark commented as he let his eyes briefly move over Pete’s body, just now noticing his apparel. Suddenly, Mark felt a little under dressed. Here Pete was dressed in what appeared to be a silk button up shirt with a very nice open v-neck design around his collar bone that peaked from under his maroon shirt, and his pants Mark was sure were a very expensive pair of black slacks. Mark adjusted his t-shirt, fingering the soft fabric nervously between his fingertips.

“I’m having a great time, so many people I know here,” Pete responded, raising his eyebrows to Mark. Mark knew that look, smirking at the man’s subtle panicked expression.

“Yea, that’s always fun. I don’t know what’s worse; you knowing everyone here, or you being the only person here I know,” Mark said with a small laugh, having to scoot closer to Pete to allow some people passage to the stage area where another large crowd hoarded all of the space.

“Pat’s here, I think, somewhere,” Pete said offhandedly, glancing around a moment before shrugging and giving up his brief search, as if the effort alone of just looking up was enough. “So what you gonna do tonight?” he added, tilting his head a bit to Mark to watch him more carefully. From Mark’s perspective, he had almost thought Pete had been up to something, uncertain if he was curious enough to inquire.

“I’m here doing this thing, you know, feeling up the scene, and mingling a little,” Mark answered as he perked his shoulders up. Pete’s smile faltered, frowning slightly before a smirk soon replaced it.

“Who you mingling with? Come on, nothing? We gotta fix that!” Pete saw right through Mark’s facade. Mark had been sitting in that same spot since he got there, making Pete wonder why he hadn’t sought him out before. He threw on a genuine smile, nudging Mark jovially. Mark laughed in return, shrugging helplessly.

“You caught me on a weird night, what can I say,” Mark replied as his shoulders went limp. He wiggled the phone in his hand, still debating whether he should nag the others about not being there yet. Pete had become quiet, smiling off into the distance while he watched party goers around them. This gave Mark all the time he needed to get inside his head again, pulling the inside of his cheek between his teeth, and chewing contemplatively. His finger pressed in on the power button; a vacant, solid background with bulky, floating icons filling the screen blared at him. After which, he navigated to the ‘messages’ icon. The last message he had sent had been to a friend of his from inside town, Todd, then a message from Travis, and just below him was Pete. Mark scrolled a bit further, going through several other contacts before finally coming upon the last message from Tom. He hesitated on it, reading over the simple 'Okay’ Tom had sent earlier that day.

Mark opened it, going over their conversation they had had just after rehearsals that morning. They all had been exhausted, but Mark had meant to ask them about the get together days before, so today had been his last chance. Tom hadn’t talked much while they were in the studio, keeping mostly to himself, making even Travis notice. Mark had wondered if he just hadn’t been getting enough sleep, but somehow he knew it had to have been something he must have done. He just didn’t want to be the one to bring it up.

_" **Mark:** FOB has a thing tonight at the Nexus Stage, I thought we could go._

_**Tom:** What time? I need to go with Travis to finish up those tracks, remember?_

_**Mark:** I do. I still want to go. You guys can meet up afterwards._

_**Tom:** Guess you guys got it figured out, And I suppose I'll be there_

_**Mark:** I asked him this morning, so yea we talked about it_

_You don't have to come, I just thought you'd want to. I'd like you to come..._

_**Tom:** I can come_

_**Mark:** Okay but if you don't want to, it's okay, really. Sorry for springing it on you last minute._

_**Tom:** Okay. " _

Mark lingered on the keys, furrowing his brows indecisively. He couldn’t believe he was having this hard of a time figuring out if Tom was in a bad mood, if he had been, or if he still was. Tom didn’t come through in texts, not to Mark. He could rarely translate Tom, sometimes reading him more harshly than he intended, or just sometimes emotionless. It completely contradicted who Mark knew Tom was in real life. Mark had learned to try not to read too much into it. He couldn’t decipher Tom right away, even when he rewound his brain through the last few days. He couldn’t come up with a scenario that involved them being at odds, or getting into any kind of altercation. Had Tom been upset at all? Mark was certain, if anything, Tom’s paranoia was rubbing off on him.

He breathed in, bringing the screen back to life with a long press to a key, deciding it was now or never. If Tom wasn’t coming, he could at least find out via text. He could have thought Tom would just text if he wasn’t, but something told Mark Tom wouldn’t even do that much.

_" **Tom:** Okay. "  
_

**Mark:** Tom, are you coming? " 

To be continued...


	2. Part 2

_“ All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. “_

Mark shoved the phone in his pocket as soon he made certain the message had gone through, and there wasn’t any opportunity for him to change his mind. Tom rarely responded right away, if ever, so Mark hadn’t been expecting any kind of immediate reply from his guitarist. Pete had twisted himself to him, and eyed him curiously, having caught Mark texting right before he put the phone away.

“They on their way?” he asked being comfortably nosy, slipping his hands into his pockets as he turned his body, and full attention to Mark. Mark shrugged, leaning back.

“Dunno, sure they will just show up if they were,” he said, looking down at his feet briefly then to the stage to his left. If he had known he would be here all by himself, and forced to wait for some kind of sign his friends were coming, he may not have come at all. But, he had already talked to them, even if it had been a few days late. He couldn’t just go home now either, not with everything hanging up in the air like it was. If Tom had gotten there after, and Mark had already left, Mark was sure it would give Tom more reason to be even more short with him.

“Wanna do something while you wait? Can’t just sit here all night, this is my party, let’s have some fun,” Pete suggested, reaching out to pinch a piece of Mark’s shirt to tug on it while he tried to coerce him out of that same spot he’d been glued to the whole night. Mark was reluctant at first, but there was still nothing from either of his bandmates, so he didn’t have much choice anymore. Pete was right, it was a party after all, Mark was allowed to have fun.

“Alright, I’m in, but nothing illegal, I gotta keep it clean for a while,” he commented with a sly grin, both men catching the other’s narrowed gaze. Pete chuckled, shaking his head slightly. Mark wasn’t worried in the least about what kind of trouble they could get into, what he was worried about was missing Tom and Travis.

“First, drinks!” Pete declared, motioning for Mark to follow him around a crowd of people until they reached two wide doors. Pete went through first, Mark trailing close behind. They entered what appeared to be a kitchen area, though it resembled more of a staging area for food and drinks, with most of the kitchenware receded further back into the room, perhaps designed to be hidden on purpose.

“Wow, why is nobody in here? This is where the party’s at,” Mark commented in awe of the tall bottles of expensive looking liquor. Pete wiggled his eyebrows, shimmying over to one of the empty counters. He reached into a drawer, pulling out two small glasses. Mark shook his head, smiling gratefully as he took one from him. He knew better, but that rarely did him any good.

“Cuz I made sure we got the place to ourselves,” Pete replied victoriously, setting his glass down and fingering the tops of bottles until he happened upon one that sounded good to him, despite being unable to read the foreign print. He poured until his small glass was full, then repeated the action with Mark’s glass, smiling kindly to him as he did.

“Thanks,” Mark said simply, lifting his drink up when Pete had done the same. The glasses clinked together gently, then both men took a long swig, bringing the drinks down to the counter, and exhaling simultaneously.

“Jesus that shit is strong,” Pete exclaimed first, taking in a sharp breath. Mark was still trying to swallow his, which burned the back of his throat. He nodded quickly, agreeing wholeheartedly with the other man through his exaggerated motions. He had thought to take another drink, but second guessed himself, fixing his gaze on Pete who was now watching him.

“So, what’s up, Pete, how’s the scene treating you?” Mark asked, wiping his hand across his moist lips. Pete merely shrugged, never taking his eyes off Mark.

“Same old thing, can’t complain, got almost everything I want,” Pete said, finally dropping his gaze a second then regarding Mark shyly. “What about you, how you and the boys doing?” he asked in return, fidgeting a bit. It almost seemed to Mark Pete hadn’t really wanted to ask, or had been reluctant about something, but he couldn’t figure out what it was, besides just odd.

“We’re doing alright, Pete, almost got everything we want, too,” Mark said somewhat coyly, drawing Pete’s eyes out of their shy gaze, witnessing them light and narrow to match Mark’s expression.

“Almost everything, huh? What does Mark not have that he wants more than life itself?” Pete asked, bringing the lip of his cup to his mouth to swallow a small sip. Mark smirked, tapping his glass subtly with his fingers as he grasped it loosely where it sat on the counter just next to him.

“God, that’s a tough question,” he replied while wiping a hand down his face, and tracing his fingers down along his jawline. There were a million and one ways to answer Pete’s open ended question, but what was the man expecting at this moment? Mark had a gut feeling about this, he was sure, especially with the expectant way Pete was regarding him.

“Hm, alright, that’s it, I’m not wasting anymore time,” Pete declared, shoving his glass down, and pushing it away from him. Mark only had seconds to react when Pete moved to him, moving his hands to his side, and bringing himself closer to him. He was just inches from Mark’s face now, both breathing at each other in a shared silence. Mark didn’t move, or protest, but at the same time he couldn’t do much of anything. Pete’s face was moving closer to his, and all Mark could do was wait for their lips to touch, breathing out as if been everything this moment was supposed to lead up to.

“Wait,” Mark huffed against the warmth of Pete’s lips just beginning to press to his own. Pete withdrew immediately, regarding Mark with a questioning gaze.

“What is it, don’t you want to?” he asked, letting his hands fall from Mark’s side slowly. Mark watched him quietly, swallowing a nervous laugh.

“Pete, I- I don’t know what this is, it was fun last time, but-”

“It can be just fun this time, too, don’t worry it’s not anything you don’t want it to be. Just relax, I’m horny and we’re both here, let’s make most of this time while we can,” Pete interrupted, moving back to wrap his arms around Mark’s waist. Mark was a bit surprised by how blunt and forward Pete was being, but in all honesty, it was a much more favorable approach than beating around the bush for a couple hours, and waiting until they both too stupid drunk to even worry about those kind of technicalities.

Mark shrugged, relaxing himself into Pete’s loose embrace while moving against the lips pushing into his. Pete was a good kisser, Mark thought, letting his eyes slip close as the moment took him over. He had no idea how long they’d been there making out, their hands only exploring the soft, hidden skin just under their shirts.

“Hm, hold on,” Mark whispered, digging into his pocket when he felt it vibrate. Pete was taken aback by the sudden interruption but smiled, watching Mark.

“But you’re so hard,” Pete smirked into his words, drunk off the way he was lusting for another body to touch his, or even to just be able to feel another body. Mark couldn’t help the whimper that fell from his lips when Pete’s hand grazed his groin area, pressing into it. There wasn’t much else spoken between them as Pete nuzzled his face to Mark’s neck, licking and nibbling the skin softly as to not leave a mark. Mark brought his phone to his face, squinting at the light as it came to life. There was one new message, and it was from Tom.

_" **Tom:** Okay._

_**Mark:** Tom, are you coming?_

_**Tom:** Yes ❤️ " _

“Do you have to go?” Pete somewhat whined, his hands drifting to the top of Mark’s pants. Mark looked to him bringing the phone down to drop into his pocket. There was no telling when Tom would actually show up, if he wasn’t already there. Mark even wondered if Travis and Tom would show up together. He had a strange yearning to go back to where everyone was to keep an eye on the door, just so he wouldn’t miss them, but Pete had been begging for his attention with his hand poised at the button on his pants.

“Not right away, we probably have time,” Mark replied selfishly, moving his hand down to aid in undoing his pants. Pete’s grin widened, enjoying the participation thoroughly, and the way Mark all but demanded him with his half lidded gaze watching him. Pete pressed a short kiss to Mark’s lips, teasing his bottom lip with a swipe of his tongue before squatting down and releasing Mark’s hard, weeping cock from his boxers. Mark couldn’t wait for what came next, inhaling a shaky breath in anticipation. Pete took one last look up at Mark before bringing the head to his lips, toying with the sensitive skin at first then engulfing as much as he could swallow.

To be continued…


	3. Part 3

_“ Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far. “_

By the time they made it back to the rest of the party, the crowds seemed to have doubled, almost to an unbelievable amount. Mark had been in shock as he stumbled through the doors with no particular haste in his steps. Pete followed right behind him, sliding his arm past Mark’s side to catch the door as Mark went through. They both came to a stop in the threshold, looking to each other briefly in similar disbelief. Pete could only shrug, starting to push past Mark when he took a moment to look around, noticing someone very familiar. He recognized that mohawk right off the bat.

“Travis made it,” Pete called to Mark, offering a genuine smile to his somewhat drunken expression. Mark quickly followed the finger Pete pointed out, his eyes lighting up when he spotted his drummer. He was pretty grateful for his patience, considering the way he kept himself occupied while Tom and Travis wrapped things up at the studio. There was only a few tracks to run through, Mark knew it wouldn’t take them any time to finish, otherwise he might not have thought to invite them.

“I see him,” Mark replied, pointing as well and hoping more than anything Travis would eventually see him. However, Travis was being oddly sociable with someone, disappearing before Mark had a chance to follow him. It wasn’t a huge deal if he didn’t get to mingle with his bandmates, but it definitely would be nice to acknowledge them. He sighed helplessly, taken out of his thoughts by a soft nudge to his side, first looking to Pete, only then realizing he was watching something, trying to get Mark’s attention. By the time Mark’s eyes started to trail Pete’s, a familiar face appeared from the crowd, approaching him with a carefree strut.

“I made it,” Tom said simply, holding up his hand and waiting for Mark to slap his own palm against his as they greeted one another. Mark’s smile trembled as he tried to process what was happening. His mind was moving a little slower at the moment, no thanks to whatever the hell foreign substance Pete decided they’d indulge in. Tom was still standing there quietly, looking between the two men.

“Yea, you did, I actually just saw Travis, too, guy moves fast though, already lost him,” Mark said, squinting as he looked to the crowd again. Tom smiled at the remark, rolling his eyes lightly. Mark was being unusual tonight, and had been almost all day. Tom had been wondering if he just hadn’t been feeling well. There was the chance he was pissed off about something, which was always a possibility anyway. Tom didn’t press it, since Mark had tried to remain civil for the better part of the day. It could just be his imagination, too.

“What you got going on back there?” Tom asked, nodding his head to the room behind them. Mark straightened his back a bit, swallowing the lump in the his throat to the best of his ability. He was drunk enough to be honest, he was sure, but to be on the safe side, it was probably best to come up with something.

“I was giving him head,” Pete chimed in unnecessarily, raising his eyebrows as if to dare Tom to challenge his claim. Tom’s smile grew, but he didn’t say anything, quickly looking to Mark. The bassist narrowed his eyes, a stuttered laugh falling from his lips as he regarded Pete in disbelief.

“Wh-what? No, that’s not- we were having a few drinks, Pete wishes he could fit my cock in his mouth,” Mark shot back, raising his own eyebrows at the man.

“What do you mean, I can, and I have. The whole thing,” Pete seemed to gloat, nodding almost triumphantly to Tom. Tom wasn’t sure if he should laugh, or just stand there with a surprised look plastered to his face. These two already seemed winded, that much was for sure. Mark couldn’t tell if Pete was trying to play it off as a joke, or if he was honestly trying to get Tom to believe they actually did that. He also wasn’t so sure he was ready to expose that side of him to Tom. It had been something Mark only started to experiment with a couple years after meeting Tom, and up until then it hadn’t ever been anything besides making out, or getting a blow job.

“I don’t care what you do on your spare time, Mark,” Tom assured, smirking playfully at the desperate look on Mark’s face. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Mark’s uncertainty returned as Tom spoke; was he actually admitting he didn’t care if Mark got head from another guy?

Tom honestly didn’t care, either way, what the truth was, though, the weirdest part was, he was curious how it worked out between the two. He didn’t inquire, however, feeling weird enough about the initial conversation.

“Thanks for coming,” Pete added with a playful chuckle, reaching out to shake Tom’s hand. He didn’t stick around long, moving past Tom, and gesturing to Mark as he left his goodbyes. Mark was left alone with Tom, finally face to face to figure out what was going on with him. He didn’t know where to start. Tom could be a difficult person to decipher sometimes, Mark didn’t want to get himself in trouble for decoding him incorrectly. That was another one of his big problems, over thinking things. Tom really wasn’t all that complicated sometimes, Mark just needed to relax.

“Tracks come out okay?” Mark asked, finally breaking their shared silence. Tom nodded, slipping his hands into his back pockets. Mark was still standing in the doorway, suddenly very aware of how awkward he felt for some reason. “Uh, you want a drink?” he added, lifting his hand to gesture behind him. Tom’s smile grew curiously, nodding again.

To be continued…


	4. Part 4

_“ Life is ten percent what you experience and ninety percent how you respond to it. ”_

Tom hadn’t said anything still as Mark lead him in. Mark didn’t feel the need to say anything, either. It was probably for the best, since he was the only one making this weird. Tom couldn’t hide the small smile creeping on his lips as he watched Mark, still overly curious off the man’s overall demeanor.

“This is the perfect hideout, ” Tom remarked, watching Mark glance back to him with a bit of a grin.

“Well, when you need to get away to get a little head, this is how you do it,” Mark said almost too nonchalantly, looking ahead of him suddenly. This was beginning to startle him how he couldn’t shut up. Tom nodded in agreement, fingering the counter as he approached it.

“Get me drunk first, jeez Mark,” Tom tried to joke, smiling more when he witnessed what he could only imagine was a blush warming Mark’s cheeks. Mark forced a laugh, trying not to stammer through his words. This was getting too awkward, he worried, hoping he could just get drunk and forget the whole night.

Mark didn’t understand why he had to invite Tom back here like this, perhaps maybe to dispel the tension he felt clutching the air around him since the moment he saw him. Tom seemed more carefree than earlier that day, more relaxed, eager even to hang out with Mark. Mark chalked it all up to Tom just separating work and play, keeping their time at an actual session strictly business. That would explain at least why he isolated himself with his guitar the majority of the time. Or, he could just be on something, which was a very high possibility too. It wasn’t really any of Mark’s business, he didn’t exactly set any kind of examples himself.

“Give me whatever you had,” Tom said, leaning over the counter in an oddly methodical manner. Mark’s eyes followed him, quirking an eyebrow. Tom was pretty certain Mark was picking up on his double entendre, judging by the calculating grin growing on the bassist’s lips.

“Strong stuff,” Mark cautioned, lifting the bottle to pour them both a drink in the same glasses him and Pete had used just before. “I probably shouldn’t, but fuck it, I gotta a few things to forget.” He took a small drink, just then remembering the bitter burn in the back of his throat, and how he had regretted drinking it then.

“You having a rough night already?” Tom inquired, tipping his glass towards him to peer inside at the clear liquid. From the smell of it, he figured it had to be some kind of vodka. Mark almost looked like he was forcing himself to down his drink, which made Tom a tad hesitant at first before taking his first swig. Instantly, he felt the burn, exhaling sharply with a breathy laugh quickly following it.

“I told ya,” Mark said settling beside him where Tom stood, leaning on the counter as well. “No, my night is going alright, just shit in general, same old thing,” he remarked loosely, not intending to give out any actual details about his misery’s business that night.

“If you want to talk about it, I’m here, ” Tom offered, ignoring the natural restraint to keep that substance away from him to only take another drink of it. Mark stared at the stainless steel surface, cool under his arm, quietly mulling through his thoughts. Tom’s demeanor was strikingly different than before; the awfully relaxed vibe he had going was more than invited, but it still struck a chord with Mark. Why was he that much different?

“I’m doing okay, for the most part. I was just thinking, you know, back on today. I kind of feel like there was something going on,” Mark started, his voice falling subtly. Tom had stopped toying with his glass to regard the older man, listening to him as he spoke.

“Going on? With what?” Tom asked, pulling his arms closer to his chest, relaxing the curve of his back as he leaned more heavily on the counter. There was an air of a chill that must have crept in while they were talking, Tom not even realizing he had positioned himself under a vent until he felt the soft, steady gust through his hair. Mark lifted his shoulders, trying to think of the best way to explain.

“With us, Tom. You wouldn’t even look at me at the studio. I just felt like you didn’t want anything to do with me, or Travis,” Mark said as he looked up to Tom, drawing the younger male’s gaze from the ceiling down to him where they watched each other a moment.

“Oh, yea, I was a little out of it today,” Tom replied simply, though Mark could have sworn he saw something else in that fleeting look as Tom averted his eyes to his glass.

“What is it?” Mark pressed, tilting his head to try and get a better look at Tom who still wouldn’t regard him.

To be continued…


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: by the way, now that i think about it, famous people would want me to mention i don't own their shit. i don't own mark or travis, or tom, or blink, or fallout boy. no copyright infringement going on around here..

_“ The language of friendship is not words but meanings. “_

Tom wrapped his fingers around the glass again, rubbing the tip of his index along the smooth ridges decorating the side of the glass. Everything seemed like it was okay now, Tom didn’t want to be the one who brought the mood down, but Mark wasn’t even acting like anything had bothered him over the last days, where Tom felt almost tortured by the anxiety. Maybe it was better to get it out in the open, rather than try to stifle and suffocate his worries with delusions of his own.

“It’s stupid, really stupid,” Tom admitted, looking to Mark a moment. Mark didn’t say anything, instead he rose an inquisitive eyebrow, encouraging Tom to go on. He was sure whatever it was, it was still worth talking about, especially if it had bothered Tom that much. A quick, and heavy sigh fell from Tom’s mouth.

“You’re just gonna think I’m being dramatic, but a few days ago I accidentally picked up your phone when it went off, and I saw the text from Pete about this party,” Tom said, inwardly cringing to prepare himself for whatever onslaught of embarrassment Mark had in store for him. Mark wasn’t expecting that, a little unsure where Tom was going with it.

“That’s okay, I don’t care if you see my phone, man, I don’t have anything to hide from you,” Mark assured with a smile, hoping to relax Tom’s worried brow line. But it persisted, Tom then moving his eyes away.

“Then why didn’t you tell me about it? I feel like you didn’t want me to go, then when you texted this morning, you were forced to invite me because you invited Travis earlier that day,” Tom said, admitting finally the real cause for his concern. Mark wasn’t sure what to say at that point, taken aback by Tom’s claim altogether.

“That’s ridiculous, Tom, of course I wanted you to come,” Mark said quickly, discarding his glass to turn his body more towards Tom.

“It’s not ridiculous, if you really wanted me to come, you would have said something a lot sooner.” Tom took another drink against his will, finally setting an empty glass down in front of him. “It’s cool though, I know we gotta do our own thing, we aren’t fucking joined at the hip,” Tom was trying to play it off now with half a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, pretending it wasn’t that big of a deal to him than it really was. He felt bad enough, considering he was encroaching on Mark’s personal affairs, and this didn’t make matters better for him being dramatic about it. He kind of wish Mark hadn’’t pressed him at all, or at least played it off better.

“You know it’s not like that, right?” Mark asked in disbelief, straightening himself against the counter now, and leaning with only an elbow perched on it’s surface and his other arm poised on his hip. “Tom, I really did want you to come, I wouldn’t have asked at all,” he added, dropping his hand from his hip to his side.

“I know, I’m just being stupid.” Tom didn’t want to believe he was actually hoping there would still be at least a sip left in his cup, but he found himself looking to Mark, and holding his glass to him expectantly. Mark took the hint, reluctantly pouring himself another glass when he topped Tom’s drink off.

“Nah, it’s my fault, Tom. I did get a text some days ago, there was just so much literally going on with everything, especially while we were traveling, I completely forgot about it. The only reason I even thought about it today was because a guy we were supposed to meet up with texted me this morning,” Mark explained, turning back towards the counter to cradle his drink between his hands, left to stare at it grudgingly.

“I get it,” Tom replied, adding a short smile when Mark took a second to glance at him before he watched his heavy lidded, blue eyes dart away again. “Don’t worry, I’m cool now. I freaked out, but I’m all better.” Tom wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince; himself, or Mark. Sure, it sounded nice to say he was okay now, and everything was good, but he still felt stupid for the whole ordeal nonetheless, and there was still that tiny voice that told him Mark was just trying to be nice, that he hadn’t meant for Tom to come at all. The paranoia was just stacking on, even Pete’s words were now starting to haunt him.

“I’m really glad you came,” Mark shifted himself, turning to Tom to place his hands gently on the side of his arms. A warm smile grew across his lips as well as a glow from his cheeks. “Truly, madly, deeply,” he added with a soft laugh, smiling even more when Tom couldn’t help but grin himself. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, I really meant to, I hope you believe me,” Mark finished, staring into Tom’s eyes. Tom stared right back, at first simply smiling at the way Mark was behaving. He really did seem genuine enough, a bit drunk, but still came across as honest.

“Thanks,” was about all Tom could think to say, ignoring the rest of the prickling in his stomach in favor of just trying to have a good time tonight. There was plenty of time to be anxious about whether or not his best friend was being an asshole, right now they both seemed loose enough in their inhibitions to just ignore all their shit, and make the best of it. “We should get back to the party though,” Tom added with a bit of a nod to the doors some feet from them. Mark straightened himself again, almost as if just then remembering they were there for a reason.

“Oh, yea, we probably should,” Mark replied, taking one last fleeting look at his glass, deciding then to no longer submit himself to it’s persecution. Tom followed his lead, abandoning his drink as well, and stepping behind him as they went towards to the door, the rumbling tremor of noise from the crowd growing louder.

To be continued…


	6. Part 6

_“ Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. “_

Mark couldn’t believe how crowded the room still seemed to be, his spot long taken over by another anonymous group of people. Tom wasn’t sure where to start, unfortunately running into the same problem Mark had just before; he didn’t know anybody, at least not anybody he could see right off the bat. Mark’s only solution was to start wading through the crowd, hopefully to reach somebody they were familiar with. Tom kept close to him, trying to avoid nudging into too many people as they squeezed in and around their bodies.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Tom called out ahead of him, not sure if the other man had actually heard him. Mark didn’t respond, or make any movement in any direction for a moment. His eyes were searching, for what Tom was unsure of. That’s when he felt a hand grasp his wrist, catching his attention, and causing him to turn.

“Oh shit, it’s you Pete,” Tom exclaimed, reaching out beside him to tap Mark on the shoulder who then turned, and regarded him. His eyes widened subtly at the sight, he wasn’t expecting to see Pete to pop out of the wood-works already. He figured the man had already disappeared to mingle, and that would have been the last he saw him. Mark felt pretty shallow for thinking about that, or even conceiving the thought that it was better off that they pretend nothing happened between them. Pete was a wonderful guy, he deserves the best of friends in his life; what they had was specific between them, and they would do with it as they wanted, and should for the health of their own friendship. It wasn’t ideal, but it was what worked for them.

“He-ey guys, you lookin a little lost,” Pete remarked, trying to remain as neutral as possible despite some ominous awkwardness he sensed that caused Mark to falter for a moment when their eyes met. Pete had thought leaving them alone for a bit, and letting things blow over would help, but Mark just seemed more tense than when he first spotted Tom.

“No way, this is a total rad party, sucks I got here so late,” Tom finally said once he noticed Mark wasn’t planning on contributing to the conversation. Pete nodded emphatically, but perked his eyes open excitedly.

“Yea, but hey, why don’t you guys come over to our place, we’re about to roll out and let them close the place up,” Pete suggested, worriedly shoving his hands down his sides. That came out way more enthusiastic than he wanted it, hoping what he just blurted wouldn’t freak the boys out. Tom instantly withdrew his head slightly, surprised by the invitation, then twisted himself towards Mark who was equally as shocked.

“Sure, let’s do it, I mean I’m not doing anything,” Mark answered, his eyes still watching Pete’s before they wandered to Tom. “Unless you gotta go, we can take off whenever you’re ready,” he added with a small tilt of his head, a soft smile accentuating his lips as he regarded Tom. Tom shrugged indifferently, looking to Pete.

“Alright. I took a cab so I’m gonna need a ride, though,” Tom said, biting his lower lip gently. Mark was about to speak when Pete spoke first, stepping forward to wrap an arm around Tom’s shoulders.

“Dude, ride with me, I was flying solo tonight so I got room,” he offered, squeezing Tom into a half hug. That would work for Tom. Mark had come in his own car, and he could easily just take Travis if ever he found him before the drummer went off on his own, which he typically was prone to doing anyway. Mark had been texting Travis while Pete spoke to Tom, both the men beginning to wander off as he waited for him to respond. He wasn’t aware the party was really that close to coming to an end, it felt like he had only just gotten there. He felt particularly bad for both Travis and Tom getting here, and then almost immediately having to wrap things up and go home. But, they were all their own people, they knew how to keep a party going if they felt so inclined.

_" **Mark:** There's an after party, you down? "_

“Hey, we’re gonna head out,” Tom called out to Mark, tapping his hand while he leaned to get Mark’s attention. Mark glanced up from his phone, nodding, and lifting a hand to gesture to him.

“I’ll meet you there,” Mark managed to get out before Tom had disappeared into the crowd, following Pete out the back with the rest of his band, and a few close friends. Slowly, the room began to filter out. It was interesting to watch for Mark as the auditorium took shape once again, no longer a heaving mass of bodies covering every corner. He had waited almost 20 minutes, with no reply from Travis. He hoped more than anything he hadn’t pissed him off as well.

That was the last thing he needed was for his whole band to be at odds with him. He didn’t want to say it was just the little things these days, because it was more than that. To him, even those minute details that appeared so infinitely minuscule to the real world problems were their real world problems, and it was their communication that would eventually make or break them, he was sure of that. Just as he was about to leave, he felt his phone vibrate, and a message appear on it’s screen where he had left it open.

_" **Mark:** There's an after party, you down?_

_**Travis:** No thank you my friend, I had a great night but I'm calling it in " _

Mark remembered Travis had talked about work he had to do over the week, and it hadn’t been just for Blink. That was a relief, at least he’d be going home somewhere safe and sound, and back at work the next day. Mark couldn’t give the man enough credit for how hard he worked. As long as Travis knew where they were, Mark was content enough with that to start making his way out.

“Stay safe,” he muttered to himself as he read Travis’s last text, huffing out a quiet laugh.

To be continued…


	7. Part 7

_“ Just as when we come into the world, when we die we are afraid of unknown things. But the fear is something from within us that has nothing to do with reality. “_

They were headed into a crowded parking lot, but Pete hadn’t stopped once, or slowed down. Tom had begun to wonder if he had actually brought a car when they turned a corner finally, finding a somewhat hidden lot towards the back, obviously employee parking, but tonight the party boy had the luxury. Pete motioned to the passenger side absently, something in his manner catching Tom’s attention briefly. His focus was on the obscenely speechless sky above him, shadowed by the city’s heavy glow. Being in town definitely had its cons, and more than anything, sacrificing a perfectly infinite backdrop of stars had to have been the worst part of it all.

“You seem like the scenic-route kind of guy,” Pete commented as he slid down into the driver’s seat, causing Tom to quirk an eyebrow at his off-handed remark.

“You gonna take me out in the middle of no-where and dump my body?” Tom asked in return, causing Pete to do a double take on his passenger. That was a bit of an extreme to come around to that morbid conclusion, Pete thought, but it wasn’t actually that unusual, especially coming from the resident paranoid of their generation.

“No,” Pete huffed with an air of a laugh in his voice, regarding Tom with a stricken look of disbelief like the idea itself was just ridiculous, which of course it was, but that was besides the point. Tom said some pretty weird shit sometimes, Pete wasn’t as used to it as Mark, or Travis. They could handle the eccentric cogitation that came out of Tom, but most the general public couldn’t understand most or any of it. Tom was a genius, Pete was sure he wastes too much time being so paranoid of the world. “I meant I’ll be taking the service roads, away from the city, so we can see some of the stars out tonight,” he explained, watching Tom’s smile grow from its half smirk.

“That’s more relaxing anyway,” Tom replied, buckling himself in when Pete had finally shut his door, and started the car, immediately slouching, and relaxing himself for the ride. There wasn’t much noise when the engine turned, even as they sat idled, the most Tom could absorb was the soft hum as the car vibrated in subtle pulses to the engine’s rumbling. Tom was feeling too warm inside to immerse himself into the silence prevailing over Pete’s car, that was until they begun to move, startling Tom out of himself before he relaxed again, floating away from himself almost instantly.

Mark had suspected it before, and even though he wasn’t around Tom as often as him, Pete was starting to sense something off about the younger guitarist, too. Every detail in his demeanor seemed lackadaisical, carefree, and with any choice he made there came a sort of passiveness with his decision. His eyes even seemed distant, like he was gazing past the spectrum of reality around them, seeing something only he could understand. He always had a dreamers stare, but tonight it’s distance was on a galactic scale.

“How you feelin tonight?” Pete inquired, leaning forward slightly to twist the volume knob down, the local station he was tuned to falling into a muffled ambiance as he glanced between the road and Tom. Tom lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug, his eyes staring out the window into the emptiness of the sky. The road was too dark ahead to see any semblance of scenery, but the sky was coming to life; the void appearing seamlessly with stars twinkling into view, confirming its existence.

“I’m feeling great,” Tom answered simply, keeping his eyes fixated on a certain point in the sky, not exactly on anything he could visibly perceive. Pete nodded slowly, expecting at least a little more contribution to the conversation than that. Maybe Tom wasn’t in the mood to talk, but Pete was more than sure now he was probably pretty high right now. Tom finally looked to Pete, furrowing his eye curiously at the way Pete had been looking to him so investigatory. “What, you want some?” He asked bluntly, half of a smile curling a corner of his mouth.

“Oh, no, I’m all set tonight,” Pete said quickly, averting his eyes from Tom’s. He felt like the man was sizing him up for a moment; the way he narrowed his eyes made Pete feel slightly uneasy, he couldn’t quite describe it. He had thought to ask Tom exactly what he had been thinking at that moment when his mind had been distracted by a hand grabbing his thigh.

“Hey, tell me the truth,” Tom’s voice broke through to Pete causing him to startle, and regard Tom with an exposed look of astonishment, quickly trying to hide it with a cheap smile.

“The truth about what?” Pete responded, wondering if Tom was just trying to divert the entire conversation from whatever his drug of choice was that night. Pete was no saint himself, but it didn’t matter what he did; when his friends did it, it always worried him.

“You and Mark, did you guys really hook up?” Tom asked, moving his hand from Pete’s leg that had been rested there temporarily, and innocently enough. Pete swallowed, trying to keep his focus primarily on the road at the moment.

“Hook up? No way, I don’t fuck guys, at least, I haven’t yet,” Pete answered honestly, adding a jovial laugh as he spoke in hopes of inspiring Tom the whole gig was set up as a joke. He hadn’t been expecting Tom to bring it up in the least, taken completely off guard by his sudden, and abrupt approach at confronting him about it. He couldn’t figure out what was weirder; why Tom was so curious about it, or why he had grabbed his thigh like that.

Tom was supposed to be straight and narrow, with nothing but girls on the brain; seeing him in any other light brought up too many weird feelings for Pete, and now that he thought about it, it probably did for Mark as well. 

“Wow,” Pete breathed with a sense of realization in his tone, falling silent as he turned his attention to the road with a long stare.

“What?” Tom asked in return, still unsure how to perceive the night that had been handed to him. Pete huffed quietly, giving Tom a narrowed side glance. If Tom was like this around Mark, it was no wonder the bassist came to Pete with so much pent up sexual frustration. They had talked before, not extensively, but enough, about Tom and his certain coy nature. There was definitely an air about the guitarist that drew people to him, made them desire him, yearn for him, and more than anything, want to get inside his head. Pete was starting to wonder if Mark had wanted anything more, especially now that he was reflecting back on the night. He seemed awfully concerned about Tom showing up.

“We, uh, we really didn’t do anything,” Pete spoke after letting a moment pass, hoping it’d be enough for Tom to believe, and to just drop the whole matter. It was becoming too serious of a ride for him, he didn’t like the mood change in the least. Tom, however, seemed unfazed.

“I wanna blow job,” Tom admitted, causing Pete to shoot him a look, in which he wish he hadn’t since Tom was now looking to him expectantly. The air caught in his throat, making him stutter out a forced laugh. He wanted to watch him longer, see if he was really serious, but he had to avert his eyes back to the road before he swerved off of it.

To be continued…


	8. Part 8

_“ There has to be new words to explain new worlds. ”_

“O-okay, hey I got a couple girls coming,” Pete managed to stammer, swallowing a nervous lump as he placed both hands on the wheel. There was no reason for his heart to be pounding this fast, or his stomach to feel so hollow. It didn’t help that he felt a warm finger slide against the side of his bicep, and when he followed the arm down the length to the source, he was greeted with a doleful pair of hazel eyes watching him, and a set of pink pouty lips teasing him for his attention.

“I’m not gonna say anything,” Tom bargained. Pete couldn’t help but think he was being absolutely serious, which in itself was absolutely crazy! Pete leaned slightly away, resting his elbow and arm on the frame of the door, hanging part of it out the open window while holding the steering wheel loosely with his hand. He let his other arm drop from the wheel to lay his hand on his leg. Tom persisted, letting his finger slide down Pete’s arm slowly where he started to lightly press his palm along Pete’s hand as he felt it under his touch. He toyed with the skin, using gentle, and curious strokes, though they were absent touches as he continued to watch Pete.

“You can’t be serious, first off I’m driving,” Pete protested, looking helplessly to Tom. He had no idea what was happening, or what he was supposed to say. He needed god to send him a sign that Tom was only joking.

“Then, pull over,” Tom suggested, lowering his voice while he straightened himself, turning his body more towards Pete. His fingers continued between Pete’s loosely, never quite incorporating themselves as they continued to travel down, now pressing into the inside of Pete’s thigh. Pete breathed in slowly, trying to be as discreet with his unease as possible. “We aren’t in that big of a rush,” Tom coerced, dropping his voice to an alarmingly alluring tone. Pete swallowed hard, having never even fathomed this side of Tom. But, now, for some reason he couldn’t get it out of his head how badly he wanted to appease that curiosity, trying desperately to think of something other than that heavy lidded look of longing Tom was giving him.

“Are-are you serious?” Pete asked, wishing he hadn’t been expecting a serious answer. At any moment, he was ready for Tom to throw up his arms and laugh the whole thing off, but the man wasn’t letting up. He was biting his lip now, very subtly, but enough to catch Pete’s attention. Was he really going to do this to him, right here and now? The hand between his legs was smoothing up into an extremely sensitive area, the blood suddenly rushing to his groin where Tom decided to cup him, and give him a small squeeze. He wasn’t playing around. There was no fucking joke going on, and Pete really was getting hard as Tom toyed with him.

“Shit, Tom,” Pete exclaimed breathlessly, quiet and restrained as he tried to focus on just driving. He wasn’t prepared for this, not for Tom, not right now. It would help if he could just pull over, but it would be for him to calm down, and catch his breath. Tom let out a soft sigh, slipping his hand away to slide along Pete’s arm again.

“I’ll blow you first,” Tom all but offered, adjusting himself to sit up even more, and leaning forward a bit to fully regard Pete who couldn’t comprehend words enough to even make a sound. There was only a seat belt, and a fold-out center console keeping Tom from Pete. He didn’t move though, falling silent to stare at very ruffled Pete, still lost for words.

“Are you sure?” Pete said reluctantly, cringing as the words escaped his lips. He had essentially just given Tom permission to perform fellatio on him in a moving vehicle. Tom only nodded innocently, deciding then not to waste anymore time. The discussion was over.

He had already undone his seat belt, and started to lift the center console when Pete was finally realizing what was happening. His whole body froze when Tom had leaned to him, shivering against the warmth the other body provided as he felt the weight in his lap. Tom only had one arm snaked along Pete’s torso, using that same hand to undo the button and zipper constraining the hard on waiting for him under Pete’s grey boxers.

“Slow down,” Pete breathed, already feeling the heat of Tom’s breath against the head of his cock almost immediately after it was pulled it out from under the thin fabric. Tom smiled, moving his lips to the swell of skin, and wrapping them around the mushroomed tip. Pete inhaled sharply, biting down on his lip to keep his noises stifled. Tom continued quietly, devouring more of Pete’s cock, and coating the surface with a thin layer of his saliva to make sliding it in and out of his mouth easier. Pete melted against his tongue, and the way he pulled and squeezed his cock into his warm, wet mouth.

“Oh my god,” he exclaimed, trying to keep his eyes on the road, and not on the man giving him a glorious blow job. Driving was becoming a rather difficult task, but he was almost there. He didn’t know how, but with the way Tom was handling him, he wasn’t going to last long. Tom lowered his hand, wrapping his fingers around the base of Pete’s cock, and pulling up as he bobbed his head back, then sliding back down when he swallowed more of Pete. He kept this rhythm up for several more minutes, earning low moans from the helpless man under his control. He didn’t know what he was doing, but he was horny as hell, and wanted a blow job more than anything. Somehow, giving one seemed reasonable to him.

He jerked his head back when the first stream of cum spread into his mouth, not prepared for how salty it tasted. He continued to pump his hand, watching the head spit more cum at his face as he lingered, curious and engrossed in Pete’s climax. The rush swept over Pete, rendering him in a somewhat numb euphoric state. He was blinded for a moment, causing him to swerve slightly. Tom let the spent cock slip from his fingers, sitting up in his seat, and regarding Pete with an innocent but daring smile.

“My turn?” Tom asked sweetly, licking his bottom lip where a nice, warm trail of cum lingered. Pete had already started tapping the brakes, cursing every fiber of his being for doing whatever it was they were doing.

“Okay.”

To be continued…


	9. Part 9

_“ Patience, he thought. So much of this was patience - waiting, and thinking and doing things right. So much of all this, so much of all living was patience and thinking. “_

The air held a chill in the way it whispered around Mark’s loosely clothed body. He hadn’t kept track of how long he’d been standing out in front of the hotel, content with propping himself against a wall, and hugging his arms around himself to capture his own body heat.

There wasn’t supposed to be any kind of a wait, Mark contemplated, thinking back on how long it was between the time he left from when they had actually left. It was almost a 20 minute difference, and somehow here Mark was, first to show, and waiting outside all by himself. He had failed to ask Pete what room they were staying in, and felt like a bit of a creep wading into an empty lobby slightly dazed and drunk, asking for Pete Wentz’s room number.

“Come on,” he muttered slightly irritably under his breath, fogging the air just in front of him that lingered only briefly before it dissipated. He shivered against the chill, his skin prickling with goosebumps. Now might be a good time to text one of them, at least to see if they were okay. It was quite possible they had just stopped somewhere to pick up stuff, or by some awful turn of events, got stuck in traffic.

Mark pulled out his hand from under his armpit, jerking his wrist up to his face. It was only after midnight; even then not a lot of people would be out filling the streets. The only other conclusion he could come to was that they had gotten into some kind of a wreck. That was one thought he definitely didn’t want to feed.

“Okay, Mark, get that off your mind,” he remarked to himself, rubbing his hands up and down along his arms, hugging himself again.

“Get what off your mind?” a voice called out from just off to the side of him, causing Mark to startle, and jump. “Relax, it’s just me,” Patrick reassured with a soft laugh, coming around the corner, and into the light. Shadows slipped from his form, revealing him finally under a dim streetlight illuminating the small lot just feet from them. “What are you doing out by yourself?” he asked, a ring of keys dangling in his hands rattling together as he stepped closer.

“I was waiting for Pete, and Tom, they said to meet them here,” Mark explained, clearing his throat. “You haven’t heard from them, have you?”

“Yeah, Pete texted about 10 minutes ago,” Patrick said absently, nodding to Mark when he moved past him. “He’ll be here in a few,” his voice trailed as he moved further away, disappearing around a vehicle. Mark shoved his hands down into his pockets, rocking himself against the wall gently. Patrick appeared after a moment, the sound of a car door closing echoing into the distance that slipped into the darkness beyond where they could visibly see. “You wanna come in?” Patrick added, gesturing to Mark towards the entrance of the hotel.

“Yeah, definitely,” Mark answered with a widening smile, regarding Patrick happily. He appreciated the invite, for sure, it was too fucking cold for him to be freezing his balls off waiting for the two of them. At least Pete had the courtesy to text. Then again, Mark wasn’t expecting Tom to fill him in on all his whereabouts at all times, but once in a great while it’d be nice to know where the hell he was, or in the least, if he was okay. That was a stupid thought, Mark didn’t like where his mind was going at the moment, choosing to distract himself with the back of Patrick’s hooded head as he followed him up a flight of stairs.

“We got a couple games going on up there, you’re welcome to join,” Patrick said, glancing back at Mark while he trailed his hands along the railing on either side of him. Mark’s gaze had drifted to the stairs below him, putting more concentration in his steps than he probably should have, that, or just letting his mind wander aimlessly for a moment so he didn’t have to think for himself. He looked up just as Patrick turned his face forward again.

“I’m down, though I might have already gotten started,” he admitted, that wooziness from before somehow more prevalent. The wood creaked beneath their feet suddenly, though Patrick ignored it as he let out a sharp laugh.

“There isn’t anyone here that hasn’t already started, you’re good,” he assured, reaching the top step finally, and approaching a door that had been left ajar. Mark was again focused on his feet, though now for an entirely different reason. He didn’t trust these wooden steps anymore, making it his prerogative to reach the top before something disastrous happened. “They’re just old,” Patrick commented offhandedly, waving off Mark’s apprehensiveness of the staircase.

“Just old is exactly what makes things tend to break down,” Mark said with a hint of caution in his tone, coming to a stop just behind the other man. He could faintly see inside the room through the slit where the light spilled out, bodies passing and interrupting it causing shadows to dance through the door. There had been music softly thumping in the background, and the closer Mark got to the door, the louder and more distinct it became.

To be continued…


	10. Part 10

_“ First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you. ”_

“No-oo, that definitely was a miss, you gotta drink,” Patrick called out, Mark rewarding him with a disgruntled moan. That was his 5th miss so far, he was doing quite shitty tonight; every little white ball teasing the rim of the cup as it circled it before popping and flying off the table. He picked out a shot glass, the red tinted glass glowing with something Mark could disdainfully recognize, taking them quickly rather than savoring the severe burn in the back of his throat that still managed to prevail. A heavy breath escaped him, looking up across the table at his drunken opponent. Patrick hadn’t been doing any better, Mark found consolation in his equally inhibited state.

Mark had just been about to take another shot when he heard the door slide open, and a familiar voice carry to the room they’d been playing in. Patrick was already poised, bending over to watch the tops of the cups, but he noticed Mark’s eyes wander from their game, seemingly distracted by something else.

“Pete’s here,” Patrick commented, straightening himself and trying to catch Mark’s attention. Mark only nodded, his gaze fixated on the threshold separating him from the living room where he could still faintly hear voices. He didn’t understand why he could feel his chest tightening, and why the anticipation of waiting for them had excited him so much now that they were there. “Come on, shoot, I’m about to win,” Patrick called out, leaning over again to concentrate on the cups.

“You wish,” Mark quipped in return, aiming his ball before tossing it to the center of the table where it bounced upward, spinning into the rim of a cup then dropping down inside. He raised his arms victoriously, grinning widely at Patrick who only shrugged and downed a cup full of what he was told was orange juice and vodka.

“God this stuff is hard, are you sure this is vodka?” Patrick exclaimed, slamming his empty cup down. Mark had been none the wiser, lifting his shoulders in a show of ignorance. Patrick sighed, just about to take his shot when he heard his name being called, followed by both Pete and Tom entering the room, appearing somewhat disheveled.

“Whoa, what happened to you guys,” Patrick asked first, turning to them suspiciously. Pete rolled his eyes while Tom snickered beside him.

“We got pulled over, and the cop gave us the fucking run around, almost didn’t make it home,” Pete answered, obviously tense from their ordeal. Tom was giggling now, causing Pete to scowl at him a moment. “Laugh it up, punk,” he shot at him, turning on his heel to leave the room.

“Wha- wait, hold up,” Patrick called out to his bandmate, quickly following him out the door. Tom was shaking his head, humming bemusedly as he stepped over to Mark and slung an arm around him. Mark could feel the younger male leaning into him, trying his best to keep them both propped up.

“You doing okay, Tom?” Mark inquired, looking up to Tom at his side. Tom only nodded, his smile growing deviously.

“I got a secret,” he remarked in a sing-song voice, smirking at Mark as he regarded him questioningly. He could feel Tom’s weight gaining on him, checking behind him to make sure the love seat was in the right position for him to drop them down on. Tom huffed as he was hauled back, and guided into his seat. It felt good to sit down, but it didn’t shake the restlessness still tingling in his limbs. Mark settled next to him, happy to be sitting as well. He still felt dizzy from all the alcohol he had consumed, curious as to how he was even still conscious.

“A secret? Ooh, do tell,” Mark gushed, suddenly feeling like a gossiping ninny. Tom glanced to him briefly, letting his eyes scan over him before he looked away with a dirty smirk playing on his lips.

“How bad you wanna know?” Tom retorted, tilting his body towards Mark, and lowering his voice to a playful whisper. Mark turned his body as well, now facing Tom almost fully.

“Bad,” Mark answered simply through a rather blank stare at Tom. Of course he wanted to know, but he couldn’t figure out what kind of game Tom was playing, or what it was he was up to. Tom adjusted his position again, moving just a little closer to Mark as if to keep whatever he was about to say between them.

“Your lover boy almost gave me head,” Tom confessed, his eyes narrowing at Mark almost darkly though he was still smiling like there was something more to the story. Mark froze a moment, his cheeks instantly reddening as he thought back on earlier that evening. How does someone almost give Tom head? Now he wanted to know more than anything what had happened, for what reason he didn’t know at the moment. He just knew he suddenly felt embarrassed, and somehow, jealous.

“Almost? Is that why you guys got pulled over?” Mark asked, swallowing carefully so he wouldn’t choke on the sudden wave of anxiety rolling over him. Tom shook his head, pressing his lips together tightly before relaxing them.

“Nah, well, kind of. I blew him before we pulled over, then a cop just happened to be behind us when it was my turn,” he said, his entire demeanor relaxed, and somewhat coy. Mark’s jaw almost fell as he stared at the male, perplexed by what he had just heard. “Mark, you’re so tense tonight, you should relax a little. Can I help you?” Tom added, sitting forward towards his friend, and placing a hand on his knee. Mark was holding his breath a second, tense and unable to think of a rebuttal.

“Wait, you blew Pete?” Mark asked slowly trying to get the idea of Tom actually doing that to wrap around his brain, but to no avail. Tom shrugged indifferently, showing no specific interest in the subject.

“I was horny and wanted a blow job,” he said carelessly, moving his hand from Mark’s knee to pick at the fabric of his own jeans.

“Right, but YOU gave him a blow job, how did you figure that’d work out for you?” Mark pressed, watching Tom very carefully now to see if he was only joking with him. He wanted to believe it was just Tom being a jerk, but by the way he was responding, and acting, Mark didn’t have much a choice but to believe him.

“I told you, I was just horny, besides, it didn’t mean anything. Didn’t mean anything to you, did it?” Tom asked, glancing back to him while he continued to pinch a piece of his jeans between his fingers, mainly just to give his hands something to do. Mark shook his head, furrowing his brow.

“No, of course not, we were drunk and horny, and-”

“Just needed some attention, see? That’s all it was, you can relax,” Tom interrupted, moving his hand back to pat Mark’s leg reassuringly. “Hey, I got something for you, let me help you,“ he added, scooting over to lean into Mark as he poked at his chest. Mark could only smile awkwardly, raising his eyebrows.

“What is it?” he asked, watching Tom dig into his pocket, and pull out a small baggy containing an even smaller pink pill. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yea, you know, a little something to take off the edge,” Tom promised with his relaxed tone, and heavy lidded gaze at the bassist. At least now Mark knew what Tom was on. It definitely explained his behavior throughout the night, but he didn’t understand why he was holding out on him. They had talked before about trying it, specifically together, but never got the chance. He guessed, this was probably now their chance. He took the baggy and opened it, pouring its contents into his palm.

“Alright, but you better not leave my side,” Mark warned, sitting forward to grab a half empty cup. He popped the pill into his mouth, and took a long swig of whatever god awful substance was in the cup, not even sure if it was his drink or not. Tom beamed, watching him, and straightening himself excitedly.

“I won’t, I promise.”

To be continued…


	11. Part 11

_“ There’s nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons. ”_

Mark pulled up his wrist, trying to subdue a fit of laughter he had long forgotten the source of its origins to while he haphazardly checked the time. He had remembered Tom leaning back, watching the ceiling silently for several minutes that seemed to stretch, then suddenly going into a long winded lecture about Mark’s karma versus the cosmos. Mark didn’t want to interrupt him, primarily because he had enjoyed the stricken look of seriousness across his guitarist’s face. When he had a chance to interject, his simple assurances still had Tom ill at ease, now back to quietly ruminating over the universe.

Almost an hour ago, Mark couldn’t imagine being this relaxed, chilled out, and completely content with sitting in some room, in a hotel he had no idea where it had been located at, with little care to the world about where he needed to be, or what he had to do. He was just fine where he was, especially sitting there next to Tom. He hadn’t even wondered about Pete, who didn’t once come and check on them. For some reason, they had been pretty much left alone; Mark found himself grateful for it, yet oddly incredulous.

“Hey, I’m gonna go grab a beer, you want one?” Mark asked, deciding to tempt fate and see what everyone else was up to, consequently disturbing their little world they shared in the privacy Pete’s and everyone else’s absence created for them. It was possible they had just forgotten Mark and Tom were there, therefore had no need to come back into the room. Mark didn’t mind, either, the game he had going with Patrick had been cut short, even just as a winner was about the to be proclaimed. He was just about to move when Tom finally began to react, lifting his head up from where he had it leaned back to regard Mark as if he’d forgotten they were both there.

“Wait,” Tom said quietly, sitting himself up a bit, and trying to wake his numbing limbs. He could have sat there all night daydreaming, listening to Mark’s quiet breathing next to him, and imagining them finding some kind of alien artifact that they could use to finally prove to the world it was all real. He only wished his body felt as alive as his mind did, finding it difficult to motivate himself. “You’re gonna go in there?” he asked, wiping his hands down his face slowly, then threading his fingers up through his hair.

“I’m just curious about everyone else, we’ve been in here almost an hour,” Mark commented honestly, slouching back next to Tom. Tom glanced to him, noticing the bassist was watching him now.

“Yea,” Tom said simply, holding his gaze on Mark’s a bit longer. “I’m sure they know we’re here. I can hear ‘em, they got some music and shit going on,” Tom added, lowering his hands to his lap, and relaxing back as well to mimic Mark’s lax position. “If you want, we can chill here for a while longer, I don’t mind,” he finished, his voice softening, and his eyes never once leaving Mark’s. A smile accentuated his lips, creating a subtle crease next to his mouth, and pulling the piecing into a stray beam of light, catching Mark’s attention. He didn’t mean to look, flicking his eyes to Tom’s lips briefly then back to his hazel orbs.

“I can do that,” Mark replied coyly, settling himself back into the couch. His whole body felt enveloped in a thin layer of warmth, just enough to give him a sense of comfort in almost any position he were to find himself in. Over the course of the night, both had been sensing the effects slowly creep into them, barely noticing the subtle shifts in their demeanor as the drug released them from earthly mental hold. Mark felt ultimately free, and most curiously more sober than he felt the entire night. More than anything, they both felt awake, to everything.

“What if they forget us?” Mark inquired innocently, shooting a worried glance to the doorway, which had been shut behind Patrick when he had left.

“We’ll stay here all night, until morning, crawl out of a window, and sneak into the swimming pool,” Tom explained, nodding his head as Mark’s mouth slowly opened in realization.

“There’s a pool!” Mark exclaimed, sitting up and grabbing Tom’s wrists excitedly. “Let’s sneak out now, I could totally go for a swim,” Mark suggested, squeezing Tom lightly in his grip. Tom let out a small laugh, biting his bottom lip worriedly.

“We don’t have anything to change into, I don’t wanna get my clothes wet,” Tom’s voice dropped, sounding almost disappointed to have responded that way. He loved the idea, but wasn’t exactly feeling it at the moment. Mark deflated, letting out a long sigh, but not letting it get the best of him. There were plenty of other things they could do.

“We could skinny dip,” Mark suggested, smiling broadly as Tom shook his head violently, pulled his hands away, and drew within himself shyly.

“Then you’ll see my dangly parts,” Tom whimpered, trying hard to hide the smile forcing it’s way across his lips. Mark rolled his eyes, putting his hands back by his sides as he leaned back.

“Oh, please Tom,” Mark huffed with a laugh. Tom moved an arm up, now his turn to check his watch. He tapped on it a few times, even shoving it close to his face and squinting at it. “What are you doing?” Mark asked curiously, tilting his head to Tom.

“Trying to see if it glows in the dark, some watches do that,” he answered, cupping his hand around it and trying to look inside.

“You know it works better when you don’t have the lights on,” Mark advised, pointing to the switch just inches above where Tom was sitting. Tom glanced to it lazily, then back to Mark.

“Turn off the lights then, let’s see if it glows,” Tom said, gesturing his head to the switch as he watched Mark hopefully. Mark snorted, shaking his head as he adjusted himself, swinging a leg over Tom’s lap, and stretching over him to the switch. Once he had hit it, and the light had vanished, he settled down, peering into the darkness at Tom’s general location. He couldn’t see at first, only a faint glow where Tom’s watch began to emit. He leaned in more, trying to read the time on the face of the watch when he heard Tom whimper, immediately glancing up and able to focus on Tom’s face.

“What is it?” he asked, looking back at the watch temporarily. “It glows, but I can’t really read the time well,” he added after Tom hadn’t responded, looking back to the male.

“Yea I can see that, but can you not move like that?” Tom asked through a slightly strained voice, biting his lip again. Mark blinked at him through the darkness, only then realizing he had ended up straddling the male when he turned off the light.

“Oh, damn,” Mark said simply, tempted to move when Tom’s hands found his, weaving his fingers through Mark’s, and gently guiding him downward.

“If you want, I mean, really want, we can go swimming,” Tom spoke in a soft tone, gently squeezing and toying with Mark’s fingers with his own. Mark relaxed, sinking his hips further into Tom’s lap, musing over the warmth and comfort the body beneath provided him. This was highly unusual for them to do, not in a million years did Mark ever imagine they’d ever feel this comfortable with each other to actually sit on each other’s laps, let alone hold hands like this. He couldn’t really focus on what they were doing, though, feeling too loose and in the moment.

“That sounds fun,” Mark commented, letting Tom slide his fingers in and out of his own lazily. Tom started to sit up, bringing his face up to Mark’s by inches, holding a rather mischievous smirk.

“Okay, but no funny business,” he said darkly, dropping his tone and his eyes to Mark’s lips briefly then back into his eyes, narrowing his gaze playfully. Mark smirked, nodding slowly.

“I’ll try,” Mark replied simply.

To be continued…


	12. Part 12

_“ Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action. “_

Tom didn’t know how he managed to crawl through the sliver of space the opening of the narrow window provided. Mark had been a bit surprised too, watching the somewhat lanky man pull himself, limb by limb, through the window. Finally, Tom had squeezed through, cursing and muttering disdainfully under his breath, swearing he thought the window would have opened more than that. Mark was biting back a grin when Tom turned to regard him, his eyes squinted darkly at him.

“I’ll fucking push you off the ledge,” he warned, glancing over the edge of the roof they managed to crawl out onto. Just below them was a clearing between two buildings where a section of the hotel had been separated. Mark frowned, bending over to look over as well.

“You want me to go first?” Mark suggested, scanning the area briefly. The cool brisk air that had bitten at Mark earlier that night hadn’t bothered him this time around. His insides glowed warmly, saturating through his skin, and enveloping his whole being. Tom felt just as warm, inside and out; Mark could swear his hazel orbs even held a certain luminescence of heat to them.

“Look, there’s a unit right under us,” Tom pointed out, nudging Mark to the right a foot or two. Mark grabbed at the ledge, swung a leg over, and started to lower himself down as he shifted his weight to his arms. Once his foot touched the surface of the air conditioning unit below him, he released his grip, and let himself fall the rest of the way down, kicking off the corner of it, and landing on his feet in the soft grass. “Shit, you made that look easy,” Tom grumbled, looking down at the drop ominously.

“I’m a terrible judge of distance, but it’s only about 10 feet. You’ve got a slope descending you maybe 5 or 6 feet from our original height, up stairs, and a 3 to 4 foot unit scaling your initial fall to only about 6 or 7 feet,” Mark explained, obviously trying to sound reassuring, and knowledgeable. Tom narrowed his eyes, peering down at him oddly. “So, basically you got about a Tom’s leap to go,” Mark added, smirking up at him. Tom’s scowl deepened, shaking his head disapprovingly.

“Smartass,” Tom shot back as he began his descent down, mimicking what Mark had done previously. He didn’t immediately let go once he could feel the unit, however, instead he carefully lowered his taller frame down until both his feet were firmly planted on a flat, solid surface. After which, he kneeled and scooted off, brushing off the dust from his backside once he straightened himself.

“Easy,” Mark declared, grinning victoriously. Tom brushed his palms together, shaking his head lightly. Mark had been so carefree, though something about tonight he could sense something even more liberated about Mark. He couldn’t quite figure what it was either, especially if it was anything like how he felt.

He hadn’t had a care in the world, not even sure if he could muster the effort to react to a fire tearing everything apart. Though, that feeling alone even gave him a sense of anxiety. He’d probably freak if everything was burning. But the reality was, there was no fire. They were safe, and more than just okay.

“That’s it through the gate,” Tom remarked quietly, ducking behind a bush as the pool came into view. Mark stopped just behind him, lowering himself slightly in case Tom had seen something, and was hiding. He only straightened his body when Tom did, moving forward through the gate.

Luckily for them, they were the only ones hankering for a midnight dip. It wasn’t a luxury size pool in the least, but it was a rather large reservoir of chlorinated water, that’s all that really mattered to the boys. Mark couldn’t take his eyes off the shimmering surface, drawn to it baby-step by baby-step.

“Take off your shoes at least,” Tom said in a hushed tone, though hurriedly as he started to pull off his shoes. He hadn’t been too keen on the whole skinny dipping endeavor, but he would give the world right now to be surrounded by water, and ultimately submerged for a while. Mark looked back to him, glancing down to his now bare feet, then to his own shoes. In seconds he had kicked his shoes off, then had pulled his socks off and tossed them aside.

He took a deep breath, still held captive by the light glinting across the water’s surface. The lighting around the pool was minimal at best, though beneath the water, hollowed crevices lining the perimeter of the pool provided a rather luminous glow to the whole gated area. To them it must of felt as if the pool itself was lighting the night.

Mark finally broke his gaze from the water when he heard the subtle pad of Tom’s bare feet step next to him. He had only gotten as far as taking off his shirt from what Mark noticed first. Mark, not bothering to disrobe himself, decided to take advantage of a more or less unguarded Tom. He lurched forward, wrapping his arms around Tom, and pulling him forcibly over the edge of the pool, and right into the deep end.

The coldness of the water took his breath away, which in his case was better than breathing in a lungful of water. Luckily for Tom, Mark was a merciful traitor, feeling him yank him up almost immediately after tossing them in. As soon as Tom reached the surface, he spat and sputtered, laughing too hard to express his agitation with what Mark had done. The next best course of action was to splash him as violently as he could, which only incurred an equally violent thrashing of water aimed at him.

The war lasted only moments, leaving both men heaving, and wiping water away from their eyes. Tom waded towards Mark first, hiding his grin beneath the water with only his nose just above it to breathe. Mark’s lips rose into a smile that had no end the closer Tom got, waiting for what he would do next.

“Baby, there’s a shark in the water,” Mark remarked, narrowing his eyes distrustfully at the approaching man, closing in the distance by inches. Tom’s figure rose out of the water as he stood, straightening himself to gaze demurely into Mark’s eyes, all the while slowly drawing his fingers up Mark’s clothed sides playfully.

“Better get here soon,” Tom replied, scowling afterwards through his smile. “Man you jerk, you promised you wouldn’t do that,” he whined, grabbing a piece of Mark’s shirt on each side to tug lightly towards him out of mock frustration. Mark shook his head, letting out a short laugh.

“I didn’t promise anything,” he retorted, smiling innocently at the look of helplessness across Tom’s face.

“Why are you so mean to me?” Tom moped, causing Mark to snort out another laugh.

“I secretly hate your guts, and hide it by spending pretty much every waking moment with you, and thinking about you when I’m not with you, and wanting to be next to you when I am with you,” Mark explained hypothetically, watching Tom’s smile grow as he spoke. Tom tilted his head slightly, eyeing Mark appreciatively, yet still somehow appearing so innocent and bashful.

“Me too,” Tom said simply, resisting the urge to dunk Mark under water.

To be continued…


	13. Part 13

_“ Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future. ”_

Mark stepped forward at the taller male, slowly lifting his arms to loosely wrap around Tom’s neck. Tom watched him silently, his hands instinctively resting on Mark’s hips. Light jumped between them, striking their face ever so often, and defining shadows within their features. The water felt warmer now once their bodies had adjusted, becoming almost weightless as it surrounded them.

“What are we doing?” Tom asked quietly, squinting his eyes curiously at Mark as if expecting him to know. Mark had been taken aback by his question, though, somehow had predicted eventually Tom would notice how close Mark had gotten to him, and actually say something about it. He blinked, drawing blanks for several long seconds before shrugging.

“I don’t know, having fun?” Mark retorted indifferently, the inflection of his tone rising questioningly. Tom’s smile dropped momentarily, his eyes inspecting every inch of the bassists face thoroughly as if he were making some kind of assessment in his head. Mark regarded him oddly, tilting his head a bit. “What?” he simply asked, wanting to further ask him what it was he thought they were doing. However, the words wouldn’t come.

Something about the contemplative look on Tom’s face made Mark more suddenly aware of their situation than before, which also caused him to become increasingly nervous as the seconds pressed on. Tom hadn’t said anything for a while, he had only been gazing over Mark’s face thoughtfully, appearing as if he were working himself up to something.

“It’s- it’s nothing, I just… I just feel really weird about tonight, you know?” Tom confessed, lowering his gaze to the strip of water floating between them. Mark felt his shoulders relax, letting out a quiet sigh as he tried to think of the right words to say. A lot had happened to them that night, and if Tom was telling the truth about what he did in the drive over with Pete, then Mark was sure he hadn’t really had a chance to come to terms with it.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. I still have a hard time believing it,” Mark responded with a soft chuckle, hoping he wouldn’t deter the younger man from confiding in him. “Kind of makes me wonder, though, why? It just doesn’t strike me as… you,” he added a bit jovially, making sure the tone of his voice was as mutual and understanding as possible. Tom smiled at his words, only looking up when Mark had started to speak to him.

“Me either, and that kind of freaks me out, I mean, with Pete?! I could have at least waited, and let you blow me,” Tom exclaimed, his grin growing when Mark shot him a dark look.

“What? What makes you think I’d even want to suck your dick?” Mark countered, eyeing him carefully as he stiffened his body towards Tom in defiance. His chest pushed into Tom’s, allowing Tom to wrap his arms around Mark’s back and pull him closer.

“Don’t people who hate each other do that kind of stuff?” Tom lowered his voice, squeezing Mark gently when he started to act like he was going to push away from him. Mark rose to the challenge, lowering his eyes as he reached a hand to Tom’s groin under water, grabbing it abruptly, and not letting go as he stared straight into Tom’s eyes.

“What about hand jobs? Do they do that, too?” Mark asked lowly. Tom jerked at the touch, exhaling sharply, but ultimately stuck between Mark’s grip and his own hold with his arms around Mark that had started to loosen. His breath stuttered, choking in his throat as he tried to stammer out some semblance of words. “Chill out, I hate you, I don’t even wanna touch your dick,” Mark all but purred, his voice dropping into a whisper as he let his hand slide off Tom’s groin.

“You sure?” Tom inquired innocently, biting his lips nervously as Mark started to float backwards, and away from his opened arms. Mark nodded, smiling softly, not offering any more words. They floated around each other in a shared silence, their gaze lost in the distance between them and the void above.

“Hey, Mark?” Tom called out after a while, lowering his body back into the water where only his head was above the surface. Mark lifted his head, pressing himself against the wall of the pool to regard Tom, waiting for him to continue. “You’re gonna always be my friend, right, no matter what?” Tom’s quiet voice carried through the night breeze, causing Mark’s features to soften even more.

“Of course, always,” Mark replied lightly, but the look in Tom’s eyes caused his smile to falter, sensing there was something more serious happening between them at the moment. “No matter what, Tom, I promise,” he finished, stepping towards Tom to stand in front of him again. Tom looked up at him timidly, silent for the most part while he was in thought, processing what Mark had said. Mark recognized that look, similar to what he had seen before. 

“What is it, Tom?” Mark finally asked, leaning over a bit to peer down into Tom’s curious eyes, widening at Mark as he did so.

Tom moved first, closing the distance between them, and pressing his lips against Mark’s gently but firmly. For a good moment, Mark had no idea what was happening, his body suddenly refusing to heed to him until Tom pulled away, breathing out anxiously.

“What was that?” Mark asked somewhat frantically, still completely frozen in place. Tom swallowed, his eyes still wide in surprise.

“I sealed it,” he stated to Mark, slowly but surely composing himself. “I sealed your promise with a kiss, now you can never break it,” he explained very seriously, dropping his eyes shyly immediately after speaking. Mark’s lips broke into a smile, finally regaining control of his body as he stepped forward and threw his arms around Tom into a tight hug. He didn’t stop there, rubbing his head against the male’s chest as he pushed harder, actively trying to shove him into the water.

Tom tried to fend him off but no avail, their laughter soon drowned out as they both submerged themselves, fighting for control over the other. Tom kicked away, first to the surface, and took in as much air as possible. Mark was next, breaching the surface with a deep breath as well.

“I can’t believe you kissed me,” Mark giggled, enjoying the red flush across Tom’s cheeks.

“I know,” Tom returned, feigning embarrassment through overly bashful gestures by pulling his arms close to his chest innocently.

“But, was that your first dude kiss?” Mark asked, furrowing his brows slightly. Tom looked away thoughtfully, watching the night sky a moment.

“Yeah, I think it was,” Tom admitted, looking back to Mark with a slightly victorious look crossing his face.

“Neat, so I was your first kiss,” Mark reveled, more to himself than to Tom, who smiled widely at the thought.

To be continued…


	14. Part 14

_“ People who never get carried away should be. “_

“I gotta tell you something, “ Tom broke the air between them. They had been sitting on the edge of the pool with only their feet dangling in the water.

“You’re pregnant, “ Mark said too seriously, rewarding him a soft chuckle from Tom.

“No, I just wanted you to know I knew you’d throw me in, and that, I wasn’t really mad at you,” Tom explained, leaning back some with his hands pressing against the ground to stabilize him as he slouched. “Also, I know you don’t really hate me,” he added, pursing his lips playfully, and adding a shy glance to Mark.

“Why you gotta get all sentimental on me, you know I love you,” Mark said with a little nudge to Tom’s side, returning Tom’s now inquisitive gaze with a genuine grin spreading across his lips.

“I know,” Tom replied, searching Mark’s eyes for a moment, all the while smiling without realizing it. They both finally looked away; Tom’s eyes dropping to the pool then rising to the sky, while Mark went back staring longingly into the illuminated water.

“In retrospect, it wasn’t one of my greatest ideas,” Mark chimed in, causing Tom to snort a laugh.

“You think?” Tom giggled, picking at his still soaked clothing.

“We could go for a walk around the complex or something, or even down the street - oh, perfect, I got it,” Mark interrupted himself mid sentence, turning slightly to Tom who was now watching him, puzzled by his own interjection. “There’s a cafe a few streets down, I’m craving a mean cup of joe,” Mark completed his thought, looking to Tom excitedly for approval.

“I can’t say no to that, I just hope they don’t mind soggy dudes in their joint.” Tom was still picking at his clothes disdainfully as he spoke, squeezing excess water from the bottom corner of his shirt. He knew they’d probably dry off a little on the walk over if anything.

“What about Pete?” Tom asked, not moving his eyes to Mark, who was already starting to stand up.

“What about him?” Mark returned indifferently, brushing himself and moving to retrieve his shoes. Tom’s were a bit further back near the gate, but it only took a few extra steps to get them, and toss them within Tom’s vicinity. He kind of knew why Tom had asked, but decided not to bother with the subject, actually more excited about their new adventure then going back to Pete’s hotel room.

“Should we say something?” Tom mumbled, reaching over for his shoes and sliding them on when he pulled his feet out of the water. He had no idea where his socks were, finally deciding they’d have to abandon them. Mark shrugged, giving up his search for Tom’s socks as well.

“They’ll be alright, my car is still out there, so they know I’m not out driving drunk,” Mark stated, waving his hand absently. Once Tom was standing, he moved to the gate and went through, holding it open for Mark who followed closely behind him. He didn’t have any qualms about just taking off, but for a moment he figured Mark might want inform at least someone about the two leaving. But, he was content with the way things were going, relieved even they could just get up and go.

The air against their wet bodies felt even more liberating as the night progressed, stepping leisurely down the sidewalk lining the narrow street through a small neighbor beyond the hotel. Mark had expected shops, or stores of sorts, but it turned out to be a quiet little neighborhood nestled in an isolated cubby hole with the much larger city surrounding it. Though, even as far as Mark could see into the distance where buildings grew taller and brighter, it still rang out with silence.

“It’s kind of eerie,” Mark remarked, loosely hugging himself, and rubbing his hands gently up and down his arms. He didn’t mind the cold anymore, but it probably would have been much more tolerable if they hadn’t dove into a pool with their clothes on, and decided the best way to dry off was to walk half a mile to a diner they weren’t even sure was there. Tom had been walking beside him, his head low and his hands tucked deeply into his back pockets.

“Everyone’s asleep, even God,” Tom commented as he lifted his head to get better a look around. It didn’t matter how far he peered into the darkness ahead, the street lamps seemed to recede into it rather than provide any kind of idea of what was there. All they could hear were their footsteps crunching the pebbling ground beneath them, the sidewalk coming to an abrupt end.

“I forgot if I turned here, or down there. None of this looks familiar,” Mark grimaced, stopping at a corner. Tom’s steps stopped behind him, a quiet sigh falling from him.

“I can get us back,” Tom offered, smiling when Mark turned back to him briefly.

“We’re not lost,” Mark said, his frown deepening. He didn’t want to believe they were lost, at least. He knew he had gone down this road. Tom glanced around, deciding to cross the road and stop on the other side, still inspecting the distance carefully. Mark watched quietly, shifting his weight to a hip as he crossed his arms. After a moment, Tom rose his arm to wave to him.

“Is that your diner?” Tom called out, his voice echoing down the street. Mark jogged over, noticing that the place he had seen was down a completely different road, one he had just committed to memory but hadn’t actually taken. A smile broke across his face, regarding Tom happily. However, his lightheartedness was short lived, soon realizing as they walked closer to it, none of the neon lights were on, and the lot was void of any vehicles.

“That’s uncool,” Mark stated sourly, folding his arms out of annoyance. There wasn’t anything he could do anyway, sighing quietly and looking to Tom inquisitively, who was watching the bassist with an apologetic expression. “Let’s keep walking, I’m sure I saw more places on my way,” Mark suggested, gesturing to Tom. That wasn’t entirely true. He actually couldn’t remember seeing anything else. Mostly, he was curious about what else was out there.

“Sure you did,” Tom replied, giggling as he followed Mark back to the road they had been on before. “Why didn’t we bring our boards?” Tom couldn’t think of a more perfect time to sail down the road than in the middle of a brisk night when the world was fast asleep. Mark strode up next to him, nodding aggressively in agreement as if he were sharing the very same fantasy straight from Tom’s head. He didn’t know when, but he realized he had grabbed Tom’s hand, or maybe Tom had grabbed his. It was hard to tell because Mark felt as if he was the only one who noticed, Tom was still happily oblivious.

Mark decided to just ignore the weird tingling in his fingers where Tom held them back, their loose grip just enough to keep a hold of one another. He smiled ahead, kind of happy now the cafe had been closed.

“I have a great idea,” Mark said, causing them to stop and regard each other. Tom squinted through the shadows they stood beneath, trying to find Mark’s eyes.

“What?” Tom asked in return, a strange giggle rising from his throat.

“Let’s make this night last forever,” Mark’s voice stuttered through a laugh forcing it’s way out. Tom scoffed, finding it hard to believe Mark was really that lame. “Or, at least until morning,” Mark added, his tone growing more serious, catching Tom’s attention. A swell climbed inside Tom, not able to understand why Mark’s behavior was giving him a terrible wave of giddiness. He suppressed them the best he could, only a few pitched giggles escaping him.

Mark didn’t see what so amusing after that, having fallen silent while Tom still sniveled privately to himself. Soon, they met another lonely intersection, though unlike the rest, the city was moving closer to them. They could see it in the lights on the buildings appearing, the growing rumble of pavement as cars started to fill the streets one by one, and the familiar air of life moving inside walls just out of sight.

“I see a place that’s open,” Tom sneered, pointing to the corner across the street from them. Mark stopped next to him, marveling at the flickering ‘OPEN’ sign above the darkened entryway. They inspected themselves for a moment, tracing fingers over their clothing to see if they were dry enough. “You sure this is a good idea? What if someone recognizes us,” Tom worried, shoving his hands back into his pockets.

“We’ll go,” Mark assured, smiling confidently when Tom finally rose his eyes to him. “If you get a bad vibe, just say we gotta go, and we’ll go,” he went on, lifting his shoulder as he turned to motion Tom. It wasn’t so much Tom felt uncomfortable, he couldn’t exactly care to be discontent at all that night. He decided to leave it in Mark’s hands, following him across the street.

To be continued…


	15. Part 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look, 15 more to go.. sorry for pointing that out. also want to add to the disclaimer i didn't write any of those quotes, i'm a copy-and-paste freak.

_“ Trouble is a sieve through which we sift our acquaintances. Those too big to pass through are our friends. “_

As soon as they walked in, the musky odor of smoke hit their noses, and through the threshold the transition of the scene was felt entirely by the both of them; the atmosphere in the room somewhat tense. It was like finding a branch to land on while you rest your wings, and even though there wasn’t any real indicator anything was wrong, there was a tension in the air that just wouldn’t allow you to settle. Tom glanced to Mark carefully as they stepped in, letting the door shut behind them.

Mark didn’t want to linger too long, having stopped to get a look around the place. It was relatively small in comparison to some of the bars they frequented in more familiar towns. This place apparently had been around a while; red padded booths lined one side of the bar, in the center a solitary pool table appearing as if a game was still in progress, and finally a long strip of bar extending from wall to wall.

There hadn’t been very many patrons, though Tom never took the time to scope the place out. He didn’t really know what he had expected of this place, but the ill sense of not belonging there was definitely not up there in the list of things he’d like to feel that night. Mark lead the way to the bar, settling down on a stool near the center of the bar with several empty seats on either side him. Tom slid down onto the stool next to him, leaning over and lifting his elbows onto the counter.

“Remember when you said if we have to go, we’ll go?” Tom whispered, aware of his peripheral in case someone were to come into earshot suddenly as he spoke. Mark tilted towards him, grimacing faintly with a slow nod. Tom could tell Mark had been disturbed by something as well, glad he wasn’t the only one who sensed the tension. Tom didn’t want to leave though without at least giving it a chance. Maybe it was just the fact their wings were tucked by the ceiling glowering overhead, they’d feel better once they relaxed a bit.

“Let’s go,” Mark returned, his voice just as quiet as Tom’s. He didn’t mind, either way, but it did surprise him when Tom then gestured for the bartender. “You sure?” he asked, earning a small, careful nod from Tom.

At the moment, the safest thing to drink was coke and rum, a great combination when the only thing he had to drink was whatever Pete had submitted him to earlier; which of course still bitterly lingered on his palette. They were two drinks in, mostly keeping to themselves before they became confident enough to talk among each other. Tom still felt the odd presence of mind to remain reserved, not wanting to admit feeling resentful to it while Mark seemed to be having a good time.

Mark ordered another drink, causing Tom to eye his own half empty glass thoughtfully, finally opting out of a refill when Mark had asked if we wanted one. He was thinking too much, drifting into cycles of scenarios that could possibly play out if he opened up about his discomfort.

“Did you hear me?” Mark snapped his fingers inches from Tom’s nose, causing him to startle abruptly. “You’re spacing out over there,” he said, moving a hand to Tom’s shoulder to jostle him lightly.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about a lot shit,” Tom admitted, blinking away the fuzziness in his eyes as the bar came back into focus around him. “Hey, I’m gonna go use the bathroom,” he said quickly, tapping Mark on the arm as he stood and made his way around a corner. Mark had almost felt inclined to follow him, but instead watched the back of his head until it vanished.

“Hey,” a man’s voice croaked quietly just behind Mark, causing him to set his drink down and turn to the source. His eyes followed a rather tall looking man, his figure wide, shoulders broad, and his eyes glazed. His rosy cheeks tightened as he grinned, almost appearing excited that Mark had acknowledged him. “You from around here?” he added, his voice rising in pitch. Mark simply shook his head, offering a kind smile.

“No, actually I’m here on business, just staying the night really,” Mark conversed, feeling more comfortable with himself since the stranger had approached him with what seemed good intent glowing beneath his overhanging brow.

“Oh, just staying the night,” the man repeated, nodding his head heavily as his eyes scanned over Mark. Something about that seemed weird, Mark wondered but chalked it up to the alcoholism. The town was small, this guy was probably a local, and from the defined lines etched on his face, he probably came here every night. Mark wasn’t bothered by his assumption, especially with the way the guy was looking him over now.

“Why don’t you stay somewhere else,” he said as an offering, lifting his chin at Mark. He knew it, this guy was looking for a fight, and Mark was the new rookie in the ring.

“I’m just having a drink, okay?” Mark lifted his glass, narrowing his eyes at the man who didn’t seem very pleased with his response.

“Not here,” the man shot back, heaving in a breath to puff out his chest. Mark couldn’t believe the audacity of this guy, eyeing him silently for a moment. He was just about to stand up when Tom had come out of the bathroom and started walking back towards the two, oblivious of the confrontation. The man only tightened his stance, now looking between Tom and Mark disdainfully.

“What’s… going on?” Tom asked slowly, perplexed by the man’s posture. Mark didn’t want any trouble, not with Tom around, and engaging in anything was not a safe bet at the moment. Mark glared at the man briefly before taking out his wallet and throwing a couple large bills down, not paying much attention to what he pulled out.

“We’re going,” Mark said lowly, finally standing up and shoving past the man with Tom in tow closely behind him. Mark couldn’t wait to get through the door, holding his breath until he heard the click of the door’s mechanism locking it in. He breathed out heavily, the air fogging in front of him temporarily. “I CANNOT believe the nerve of that guy,” Mark raised his voice, annoyed by the entire situation. Tom still had no idea what was happening, checking behind them as they started to walk away to see if they were being followed.

“What?! What happened?” Tom called to Mark, trying to keep up with his hastened pace. “Slow down, dude,” he growled, having to jog up next to him.

“That guy, I don’t know. I didn’t want any trouble. Just- it’s better we left,” Mark explained, not really wanting to worry Tom. He couldn’t believe their luck running into someone like that. He was starting to think this town wasn’t so nice after all, perhaps better at night since at least everyone was asleep. Everyone except that asshole of course, who had to ruin their drink.

“Well, okay, whatever,” Tom sighed helplessly, not sure how to get Mark to tell him what actually happened that made it so they had to leave. Instead, he decided to follow Mark’s lead for a while, see where he would take him. “Want to keep walking?” he suggested, pulling his hands up behind his head. Mark drew up the corner of his lip, unsure if he liked the sound of that idea.

“I’d rather go back to my car and make out honestly,” Mark said, slipping his hands into his pockets. “I feel way too restless to unwind,” he sighed, kicking at a rock on the ground. Tom giggled beside him, his lips tight in a wide smile.

“Pete said he invited some chicks, let’s go see if we can score one,” Tom said, stopping to glance over at Mark. They regarded one another a moment, smiling like idiots.

“First one to get the girl, gets the car,” Mark said in a challenging tone, turning on his heel to start walking back in the direction they’d come from.

“What if we both get one at the same time?” Tom asked beside him, dropping his arms to his sides.

“Tag team it?” Mark said with a shrug, causing Tom to let out another obnoxiously uncontrollable giggle. He sometimes hated how Mark was able to do that; to make him smile and laugh to the point of it actually annoying the hell out of himself. It was never unfortunate, unless he was supposed to be upset, then Mark was just a jerk for being such a stupid best friend.

To be continued…


	16. Part 16

As they walked, Tom picked at his clothes absently while Mark kept an eye down any road they happened to pass. There hadn’t been anything in particular in mind, he just didn’t want to miss an opportunity to explore. Going back to the party was okay, but it wasn’t the end all be all for their night; at least he didn’t want it to be. There was nothing as promising as another street intersection, and more unfamiliar paved roadway leading to god knows where.

“Where are you going?” Tom asked as he turned the corner with Mark, following him down a street they hadn’t been down before. Mark didn’t say anything at first, waiting until he got to a short metal fence to regard Tom with a devious glint in his eye. Tom stopped next to him, looking up and down the fence oddly, trying to figure out why Mark was fondling one of the bars like he had some kind of master plan.

“Look what it is!” Mark shot back excitedly, pointing a hand through the fence at a white building next to what Tom could only identify as an olympic size pool. He shrugged, furrowing his brow slightly.

“Another pool? Mark, I’m not going skinny dipping with you,” Tom whined quietly, pressing the front of his body to the fence to peer inside. Mark smirked, nudging the male in the arm with his elbow.

“No, bozo, it’s a resort, and where there’s a resort, there’s showers!” Mark said encouragingly, leaning towards Tom. “After all that chlorine saturation, I could really go for a nice, hot shower,” he pouted, puffing out his bottom lip when Tom finally regarded him. Tom smirked, amused for a moment then thoughtful, looking back towards the resort.

“Right, but it’s closed. Why do I have a feeling we are going inside anyway?” Tom asked with a sly grin growing on his lips. Mark looked to him, smiling gratefully once he knew his partner in crime was on board with his plan. Mark grabbed the top of the fence, coming up only to his chest. He hoisted himself up and swung a leg up, hooking it through a space between the metal bars. He used to leverage to jump over, making it appear effortless. Tom followed suit, though he brought his foot over the top of the fence and jumped off from the top of it after heaving himself up.

“You sure you don’t want to go for another swim?” Mark commented as they stepped past the pool, twisting to look back at Tom who moved away from him instinctively.

“I’ll leave your ass here if you even think about throwing me in again,” Tom warned, a quiet nervous laugh escaping his throat. Mark shook his head, trying to play it off like that had never even crossed his mind, but Tom knew better. There wasn’t any doors to the building that they approached, much smaller than the office building next door. Mark followed the entryway into the men’s bathroom, finding rows of stalls, urinals, and at last, in the very back, two open showers separated by a cement wall with no curtain or door to conceal them.

“Looks like we have the place to ourselves, I’ll get the one on the right,” Mark said first, beginning to undress himself. He stopped as he got his shirt off, and was halfway to unbuttoning his pants when he noticed Tom still standing there motionless. “What’s wrong, get undressed,” he said to him, blinking at him when he continued to take off his pants. He was down to his boxers, staring at them in thought and wondering if he should lose them, or try to maintain some semblance of modesty for Tom’s sake. Tom, on the other hand, had thrown his shirt off, and pulled his pants down along with his boxers before Mark had a chance to really notice while he stood with his back to him.

Tom stepped inside the one on the left, moving away from the faucet as he turned the hot water knob as far as it would go. He actually couldn’t wait for the water to warm up, shivering now as it he held his hand beneath the current. Mark glanced to Tom’s bare butt as he turned away from him in the stall, then made his way to the shower next to him. He turned the knob, exhaling loudly as a cold rush of water cascaded down his body. He didn’t bother to move, standing beneath it until it was too hot to handle. He turned it down to just the right temperature, scrubbing lightly at his body with his palms. It had only been a few minutes when he heard Tom’s shower shut off, then a warm body step next to him. He turned to Tom, peering at him with a curious quirk of his eyebrow.

“My hot water ran out,” Tom stated, maneuvering around Mark to find room under the running water. Mark stepped aside willingly, catching himself staring at the water hitting Tom’s shoulder and pouring over the side down the rest of him. Tom leaned his head back, allowing the water to saturate through his hair, humming contently at the sensation. “Here,” Tom offered, holding out a small bottle to Mark. “Found it in the other stall, probably enough for both of us, but hurry up, I don’t trust the water to stay hot long. My shower sucked,” he further exclaimed, scrubbing at his hair with the tips of his fingers.

Mark only nodded, pouring a generous amount into his opened hand. He gave the bottle back to Tom, then rubbed his palms together before lathering it over his body. He nudged beside Tom, prompting the other man to move from under the shower head, having already rinsed the soap off of himself.

“This was a good idea,” Tom commented, leaning against the cement wall of the stall. Mark had his head submerged under the current, backing away from it to nod in agreement. He stood with only half his body still beneath the current, contemplating whether or not he wanted to be done with his shower or not. From the looks of it, Tom looked like he was finished, but that didn’t mean his shower had to be over. “Now we’ll just have to drip dry again,” Tom mentioned, causing Mark to glance to him suddenly.

“Oh yeah, I didn’t even think of that,” Mark replied with a fond chuckle, shrugging it off in favor of stepping out of the stream of water and up to Tom, who blinked and watched him back quietly. “Can I ask you something?” Mark inquired, leaving the water running as they stood outside of it by inches. Tom nodded, folding his arms across his chest loosely. “Did you kiss Pete?” Mark asked, keeping a steady eye on Tom.

“No, I told you, I just sucked his dick,” Tom said rather bluntly, an odd sense of indifference in his demeanor. “Did you?” Tom asked in return. Mark’s eyes widened at the question, surprised Tom had asked. He should have expected it, especially with him prying into Tom’s affairs like he was.

“Yeah, well, we kissed a little,” Mark admitted, nodding his head slowly, and all the while maintaining his gaze on Tom. If anything, he hoped he seemed as nonchalant about it as Tom appeared to be, but more than anything it only worked to make him more nervous.

“Is he a good kisser?” Tom pressed innocently, tilting his head as he spoke. He let his arms fall to his side, adding a slight inward curve to his back to stretch. Mark shrugged, giving Tom a minimal nod.

“Yeah, he’s alright,” Mark responded. Tom was watching him almost intensely at this point, narrowing his eyes imperceptibly at the older male.

“I kinda wanna know how you kiss,” Tom confessed after a moment of silence between them. Mark’s eyes widened again, his mouth falling open but no sound coming out. He wasn’t sure if Tom was just asking if he was a good kisser, or if he was wanting Mark to kiss him. A small giggle fell from Tom’s lips as he watched Mark’s blank expression of surprise.

“You’re not going to tell anyone are you?” Mark asked with a hint of apprehension in his tone to mask a subtle excitement rising in his inflection. He took a step to Tom who straightened himself only slightly against the wall when Mark got closer to him, watching his every move through a devious glint in his eyes.

“Nah,” Tom replied, smirking darkly through drops of water still dripping from tips of his wet hair pressed down over his forehead and brows.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i realized i didn't have a quote for this one, and i'm at a loss. just be creative here. also, if you plan on asking where i got the quotes, here's the answer to all of them: google


	17. Part 17

_“ I have liquid lips, and my kisses are smooth as wine. Why pour you a glass when you can drink from the bottle? ”_

“I don’t need the word getting out that I am as great at kissing as I am at bass, or I’ll have to beat everyone off with a stick,” Mark stated coolly, a smirk rising from the corner of his lips. Tom’s eyes followed Mark’s every careful movement towards him, amused by the seriousness creeping into his eyes.

“I won’t spill the beans, I promise,” Tom assured in a low voice, anticipating Mark at any moment. Mark was inches from the taller male, hesitating as he tried to figure out what to do with his hands, let alone what to do now that he was this close.

“Can I kiss you now?” Mark asked quietly, and uncertain of himself. Tom nodded, whispering his permission under his breath through a small smile. Mark inspected Tom’s eyes carefully before closing in to press his lips gently to the others, keeping a perceptible distance between their bodies. Tom remained motionless for the most part, kissing back only when Mark felt the impulse to flick his tongue along Tom’s bottom lip.

Tom opened his mouth subtly to Mark as their kiss deepened. Before too long, they had become brave enough to meet in the middle, their tongues colliding, and smoothing against each other in long, drawn out strokes, exploring the taste and texture of the other. Mark’s body quaked, inching forward as if drawn by the enticing way Tom kissed him back.

“You’re really good at this,” Mark breathed at Tom, lifting his hand to grasp Tom’s wrist when the male had started to touch his hand to Mark’s face. He pushed it gently back against the wall, holding it captive there near Tom’s head. He tilted his head lightly, sliding his now moistened lips along Tom’s, and dragging his tongue across his bottom lip. Tom hummed at the sensation, the corners of his mouth curling into a smirk.

Mark didn’t give him much of an opportunity to come back with a retort, especially with their chests pressing into each other slowly. The bassist against him felt warm, hot even, and heavy, expecting some air of awkwardness at the closeness, but ultimately was surprised to find himself blushing at the touch. There was something budding in his gut, deep inside, fluttering to life and spreading its heat throughout his body. The longer Mark kissed him like this, the hotter it got, and the more he yearned for.

He had tried to pull his hand forward again, to try to reach for Mark but the other male was still restraining him, even moving closer to pin Tom to the wall with his body conforming into his. Mark had gotten too caught up in the passion, a soft moan falling from him causing him to snap back to earth and realize how far gone he actually was into the moment. He removed his firm grasp from Tom’s wrist, and took half a step back, moving his head from the others with a sudden gasp of air when their lips parted from each other.

“Uh, sorry,” Mark apologized awkwardly, his voice quiet as he regarded Tom who appeared to be trying to catch his breath. It was hard trying to maintain any kind of coolness in this situation. Tom felt like he had been run through; left breathless and trembling against a cold cement wall despite how hot his entire body felt.

“Wanna keep going?” Tom asked after a moment, gaining a soft gasp from Mark whose eyes widened at his inquiry. Mark simply nodded, not offering any words when he stepped forward again, this time more timidly approaching Tom. Tom lifted his hands to the sides of Mark’s face, gently guiding him to his lips when he was close enough. He melted into the soft skin grazing his own, pulling in a plump bottom lip between his own and nibbling on it tenderly, rewarding him a soft moan from Mark.

Tom wasn’t sure Mark was even aware of the small noises that kept escaping his throat the deeper and more intimate their kisses became. Tom had become consumed by the smooth, heated muscle licking against his own, soon melting into Mark as he curved his body along his. Mark’s hands instinctively slipped around Tom’s waist, pulling it forward to his own. There was a soft grunt, both unable to figure out from whom, when there groins collided, causing them both to pull away by inches, and gaze into each other’s eyes quietly.

Steam that had loomed around them steadily began to dissipate as the water cooled. Though they stood outside its range, it didnt prevent cold drops of water to splash on their naked bodies. Mark encouraged Tom back to his lips with a small pull towards him again, cringing at the friction his action created when Tom’s half erect cock pushed into his own growing member. Tom drew in his elbows closer to his chest, holding his hands still on Mark’s jaw, and opening his mouth to let Mark’s tongue move into his.

“Mark,” Tom whispered in a breath against Mark’s lips, causing him to draw his head back imperceptibly. He’d never been this close to Tom before, and never questioned what they were doing until this very moment; now looking into those mystic hazel hues of Tom’s that watched him so closely. He didn’t understand what compelled him to remain still, to continue to embrace Tom by the waist, and to refuse to let him get any further from him than he already was.

“Tom,” Mark returned, in the same breathy manner. A soft smile appeared as Tom looked to him more seriously, with something distant looming in his eyes. Mark couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was he saw, but it’s faintly familiar glow compelled him to kiss Tom again; more deeply and madly. Tom’s hands smoothed down Mark’s neck, fingering over his shoulders, and continuing down his arms. He didn’t follow them all the way down, skipping past his elbows and finding Mark’s hips to rest his hands on.

Another noise purred in Mark’s throat, muffled inside of Tom’s mouth as Tom rolled his waist very subtly against Mark’s. It was music to Tom’s ears, proudly smirking through their kiss at the noise his actions rewarded him.

“Cut it out, man,” Mark muttered breathlessly, nipping at Tom’s lips playfully. It was one thing being caught up in the passion of a very hot kiss, but it was a whole other story having his cock touched during a make-out session, let alone toyed with by some cute-ass assailant who had no plans to follow through. Tom giggled lightly, amused by the reaction he had gotten. Sure, he loved to tease, but he’d never really experienced this kind of foreplay before; that, being with a male. He had discovered it was rather enticing, finding himself more curious about the entire venture in and of itself.

Tom had almost wanted to ask Mark something, seconds from speaking when Mark broke their kiss, and drew his head away. The blue eyed man smiled kindly, taking a shaky step back, and letting his hands slip away from Tom who blinked curiously at him. It felt like it hadn’t last nearly as long as it did, both standing quietly simply breathing and staring at each other with a mix of disbelief and shock. Mark was first to move away to the knob as if forgetting they’d been showering, and twisted it until the water shut off.

“Let’s go back to the hotel,” Mark suggested, wiping his hands down his face while he tried to collect himself through the shakiness still trembling through his limbs. Tom was no better off, nodding and trying to remember how to dress himself. At least now their clothes were only slightly damp, and they still had enough time to dry off during their trek back. Tom was first to exit the building, moving back to the fence and waiting for Mark to jump over first to follow behind him. They found their way back to the sidewalk, stepping along it, and all the while silent with each other.

Tom could see the scene playing over and over for him in his head, unable to get the way Mark felt against him out of his mind. Mark was lost in his own reverie, holding a hand to his mouth that stung with a delicate prickling sensation, swearing he could still feel Tom’s soft, warm lips against his.

“I had fun,” Tom finally said, breaking the buzzing silence between them. Mark blinked, lifting his head up to him, and watching him for a second. He wasn’t sure he was expecting any kind of critique of what they had done, but at least Tom didn’t feel weird about their little experiment. Mark felt relieved by what he said, offering a jubilant smile to his companion.

“Yea, just wait until we get to my car,” He remarked almost deviously, watching Tom who wasn’t quite sure what to make of Mark’s statement. Mark mused at Tom’s dubious expression, looking ahead down the darkened road towards the hotel.

To be continued…


	18. Part 18

_“ Now shall I walk or shall I ride?  
‘Ride,’ Pleasure said;  
‘Walk,’ Joy replied. ” _

A hanging, mutual silence provided them ample amount of time to try and piece together what had just happened. Though, it didn’t seem quite possible for either to actually come to any kind of a conclusion, no matter how long they had to mull it over. For now, it seemed adequate enough that they both provided the consent, and somehow that alone justified everything. All it had been was an experiment; to test the other’s kissing abilities. Even more so, to feed the curiosity persisting through their night.

Mark side glanced to Tom, doing his very best to convince himself this was all well and fine, and all of that was a perfect explanation for had happened. However, when he got a glimpse of Tom’s profile etched against the darkness beside him, he found his heart quickening in his ever tightening chest. Tom’s hair draped down his forehead, the tips barely reaching past his brows; his hazel eyes very clearly visible beneath his hair’s shadow. It felt too surreal for Mark, having never seen Tom in this light before.

Tom looked briefly to Mark before doing a double take once he caught the bassist staring at him. An embarrassed smile rose on his lips as he shoved his hands into his pockets, worried Mark had been watching him with some intent and purposes.

“What?” He asked through a short laugh, which caused Mark to widen his eyes in realization. He’d been staring and hadn’t even noticed until Tom’s voice broke the air. He mimicked Tom’s actions, slipping his hands down his pants and into his pockets slowly. His shoulders lifted into a diffident shrug, not sure what he was supposed to say at that point.

“I was kidding about the car thing, by the way,” Mark remarked after a moment pause of leaving Tom’s inquiry hanging in silence. Tom gave him a slight nod, his eyes retreating back to the sidewalk floor just in front of his feet, watching it as they walked.

“Bummer,” Tom stated simply in a defeated tone, catching Mark by surprise, who had long averted his eyes back ahead of them. He regarded Tom now more inquisitively, pulling out his hands to let them swing by his sides, and focusing on listening to anything else Tom had to say. “I was kind of hoping we’d get to fool around some more,” Tom admitted, kicking at a rock as he encountered it. It shot off to the side, rolling down a decent slope before thumping against a wooden fence, and finally coming to a rest with it’s echo trailing off into the distance. It held Tom’s attention momentarily before it was back to staring at the cement below again.

“You wanna do stuff with me?” Mark asked almost incredulously. He was pretty certain if there hadn’t been any kind of influence on them that night, this conversation would have never happened. Then again, Tom could have just been joking, and Mark asking would only make him look like an idiot. He instantly regretted asking, but didn’t take any action to retract it.

“You don’t want to?” Tom asked, stopping suddenly and turning his body to Mark’s. This caused Mark to stop as well, turning so he was facing Tom, too. For a moment he didn’t understand Tom’s question; just seconds ago he was more than ready to play it off as a joke. Tom couldn’t actually be serious, could he? He blinked at the slightly taller man, tilting his head as he contemplated on exactly how to answer him without making himself sound more stupid.

“It’s not- I kissed you, didn’t I?” Mark countered, his smile sloping into a crooked smirk. Tom inspected Mark’s features closely, certain now Mark didn’t believe he was being serious in the least.

“Sure, but we can do more if you want,” Tom offered bravely, furrowing his brows slightly to watch Mark through an innocent gaze. He didn’t want to appear like he was trying to throw himself at Mark, but at the same time, he had never felt so free to do just about anything he thought he could get away with. Of course he was open to the idea; kissing was sexy, and he could only imagine what else they could do to pleasure each other. It couldn’t be that much more different than fooling around with a girl. Though, he hadn’t been kissed the way Mark had kissed him, that had definitely been different.

“So you wanna go back to my car and fuck around?” Mark’s voice spoke to him, with a drop of something alluring seeping from his tone. Tom’s apprehension slowly melted away, swaying his hips towards Mark imperceptibly until he pressed the front of his body to the others.

“Sure,” Tom purred, lifting his arms to loosely wrap them around Mark’s neck. Mark’s smirk rose, raising an eyebrow as Tom pushed forward into him. He moved his hands on either side of Tom’s hips, quietly watching Tom’s face approach his timidly. His entire body was heated by the frontal pressure Tom’s body provided against him, causing his knees to tremble as he anticipated those pursed, plump lips pressing against his.

Mark couldn’t hold back the soft whimpering sound that escaped him when Tom finally kissed him, longing to feel and taste him all over again as if it had been forever since he had been last touched by him. Tom could almost feel how hungry Mark was, the grip on his hips tightening as Mark tried to pull him even closer. Tom’s jaw went slack, letting it fall open to allow Mark access into his mouth with several deep swipes of his tongue.

They stood there kissing for only seconds before Tom drew his head back, inspected Mark’s heavy lidded gaze watching him with amusement. He slowly dragged his hips forwards and up, purposely grazing Mark’s groin with his own. When Mark had tried to capture Tom’s lips again, the guitarist would retreat just as the heat from their skin radiated between them, never allowing Mark to actually touch him. Mark let out a quiet growl; a show of his annoyance to Tom’s subtle teasing.

“Fine, be that way,” Mark shot back in a mock tone of defiance, moving his head away slowly and dropping his hands from Tom’s waist. He smirked darkly, as if he had devised a most devious plan. A short laugh fell from Tom, sliding his hands down to Mark’s shoulders then finally moving them back to his pockets shyly.

“I will be.” Tom stuck out his tongue, turning away to continue down the sidewalk just as nonchalantly as he had been before. Mark followed just a moment after with a chuckle, nudging into Tom to catch his attention. Once he eyes met Tom’s, he smiled kindly, rewarding him a genuine smile from the other. The night itself felt so much more alive than it had before, especially with the cool, liberating breeze chilling the air around them, and the warm, familiar buzz tingling through their bodies.

To be continued…


	19. Part 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh this part gets really awkward. i don't know how i don't cringe when i write this shit, only when i have to back and actually read it...

_“ You will never feel alone, if you run down the stairs of loneliness; as every solitary step becomes your companion. “_

There hadn’t been much spoken between the two as they made their way along the empty sidewalk, eventually winding around straight into the complex’s parking lot with the building looming just off in the distance. Illuminated yellow auras pitched at the top of poles provided minimal lighting along the lot; soft fluorescent bulbs hidden under entryways hung just above the door itself, their cast matching the night’s twilight ambiance.

Neither Mark nor Tom at this distance could tell where the night ended and the light began, until they were close enough to see the cement burning with an orange glow. Mark made an effort to escort Tom in the direction of where he parked his car, which was the only way he knew to get back to Pete’s room.Tom stopped near the vehicle, leaning on the driver’s side door as if waiting for Mark to unlock it. A smile rose on Mark’s lips, stopping as well to turn to his companion.

“I left the keys inside, remember? I didn’t want to lose them in the pool,” Mark stated, glancing up the rickety stairs with a hint of reluctance. “Do you wanna wait here or-” Mark started to ask, looking back to Tom’s slouched figure against his car. His blank expression was hard to read at this distance; Mark was unable to determine if Tom was still on board with their whole idea, or starting to feel apprehensive about it, with him off silently brooding in his usual manner. The guitarist gave a minimal nod, meeting Mark’s eyes only briefly before dropping them back to the ground. “Okay, uh, I’ll be right back then, stay right there,” Mark said in conclusion, holding his gaze on Tom before turning away towards the stairs.

“I won’t wander off, I promise,” Tom retorted as soon as Mark’s back was turned to him, narrowing his eyes slyly at his own remark. He thought the attempt at being humorous would help ease his nerves, which he had been able to mask for the better part of the night. But as he watched Mark walk away, it felt as if everything was catching up with him; like the shoreline had receded from the ocean and was only now barreling back in one massive wave to devour everything.

He had no idea why he agreed to any of what they had already done, or even why he was still planning on seeing what they were going to do through. All he knew was he felt excited about his new venture, his body trembling not only from the cool air finally penetrating his skin, but from the anticipation of exploring themselves with one another. He could already tell it was going to be a rather nerve wracking wait for him as he worked himself up anxiously.

If anyone had asked him why he was doing it, he probably would’ve been unable to give an answer other than it being something he simply yearned for; an unguarded inhibition liberating him beyond his wildest dreams. That was the best explanation he could come up with, considering he hadn’t put much thought into any of it since their night had begun. He hadn’t come in with the idea of it ending up anywhere, not once trying to set up some kind of predestined scenario where he’d end up here, and moments away from fooling around with his best friend. It made his stomach perform flips when the whole idea came crashing down on him. Tom, like Mark, had never seen the other in any particular intimate light, and for the spotlight to suddenly shine on Mark, it definitely had made Tom pay much closer attention.

Mark stood aghast at the base of the stairs, peering up at the daunting stretch of railing on either side. He didn’t trust their precarious structure, swaying even against the soft breeze. His steps creaked up the incline cautiously, catching glimpses of the receding ground through the cracks of the wooden steps. He held his breath until he reached the top, exhaling slowly to calm himself as he took a fleeting glance back towards the stairs.

The door had still been cracked open, though the ruckus from before had died down considerably to a soft hum from the radio on the other side of the wall. Even the light that had filtered through was off now, with only a subtle glow from what Mark could only recognize as a television peeking out. He nudged open the door, slipping inside the darkened room. It lead right into the living room, which for the most part seemed abandoned. That was interesting considering he swore he saw at least 10 or maybe even 20 people here just earlier.

He didn’t feel any strong urge to call out for anyone though, focusing on trying to remember how to get back to the room they had escaped from through a much smaller window than they had anticipated. He had also been curious about how long they had been gone, having been unable to gauge what time it was just from the twilight glow the full moon had provided them. It could have been 3 a.m. for all he knew, but it definitely hadn’t felt that way. For even how he felt, it was as if the day was still beginning, and there was still much to be done.

He stepped through the empty room as quietly as his hard soled shoes would allow him on the linoleum tiles, cringing faintly at the tipping and tapping they created until he was able to hit a dark plush carpet near a closed door. He was pretty sure this was the room, lifting a hand to the knob and twisting it slowly as to keep the sound to a minimum. Luckily for him, the click of the mechanism was almost silent, and the door slid open with ease.

The makeshift beer pong table was the first indication that he had gotten the correct room, breathing an air of relief as he made his way further inside. Just before they had decided to leave, Mark had made sure to suggest they leave all their valuables behind, dumping their pockets of their keys, money, and phones. He left everything on the farthest nightstand by the love seat they occupied earlier that night. He was just about to reach to his keys when a tap on his shoulder startled him, causing him to jerk his head around and grasp at his keys in a panic.

“Oh, god, Pete, you scared the hell out of me,” Mark exasperated, heaving a heavy sigh as soon as he realized who it was. Pete snorted a laugh, crossing his arms at the bassist in disbelief.

“Yea, sure. You sure you just aren’t up to something?” Pete asked suspiciously, though his tone was somewhat mocking. Mark scoffed, shaking his head lightly, and helplessly flailing his empty hand to come up with some kind of retort. “Forget it, we’re all by ourselves,” Pete insinuated, quite bluntly. Mark could tell the man was also quite intoxicated, which his brave assertion was probably a result of. His eyes hung low, his stare distant yet needy, almost as if he wasn’t even there.

Mark stammered for a response, clutching his keys in his hand which he kept hidden just behind his hip. Pete was stepping toward him now, dropping his hands to his sides and peering up at Mark somewhat expectantly. When Mark hadn’t reciprocated, Pete drew back slightly, furrowing his brow objectively. Mark knew he had to say something, at least to explain himself.

“Pete, I kind of… have something going on,” Mark admitted reluctantly, cringing inwardly in anticipation of what Pete might do or say. Pete blinked curiously, crossing his arms over his chest once more, and giving Mark a chance to continue. Of course, that was if Mark knew how he could explain this to Pete, which kept him quiet and allowed an awkward silence to fall between them.

“Okay, is this about Tom?” Pete finally inquired, growing impatient of Mark’s apprehension. Mark nodded slowly, relaxing the tension that had pulled his shoulders up imperceptibly as the moment worn on. Pete wasn’t blind either, he could see the void in Mark’s eyes as well; that particular something that was missing from his usual awareness. His lips grew into a smirk, dropping his hands again by his sides. “Details, all of them,” he demanded darkly, narrowing his eyes to Mark. “Then you’re free to go,” he added, tilting his head coyly towards him.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> right?!


	20. Part 20

_“ I’m wearying to escape into that glorious world, and to be always there: not seeing it dimly through tears, and yearning for it through the walls of an aching heart: but really with it, and in it. “_

“We just kissed,” Mark countered innocently, not sure what kind of details Pete was hoping for, and not entirely sure he was ready to divulge that kind of information just yet. It was still very fresh and new to him, the idea itself he was still having a hard time trying to grasp. Pete wasn’t moved by the admission in the least, lowering his eyelids faintly.

“That’s it?!” Pete exclaimed questioningly, furrowing his brows. Mark nodded simply, shrugging indifferently.

“It’s not a big deal, that’s not what I’m doing. I was just grabbing my keys so we could hang out in my car and listen to some music or something,” he explained, obviously stammering for words as they appeared in his mind while he spoke. Pete chuckled to himself, shaking his head at the ridiculous claim.

“That’s so boring, why don’t you guys do something fun? You know you want to,” Pete dropped his voice in a rather alluring yet insinuating manner. Mark gulped quietly, clearing his throat just after to try and speak before Pete interrupted him. “Did he tell you about what we did on the drive up?” Pete added somewhat deviously, dropping his voice. Mark widened his eyes, surprised at how forward Pete was being.

“Yea, he told me what happened. That’s pretty crazy,” Mark said with an uncertain laugh falling from his lips. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to feel weird about what was happening, because mostly the most surprising aspect was he had yet to feel weird at all about anything. Nothing seemed to come as a huge shock to him, he had only been caught slightly off guard, taking in the information with an indifferent kind of grace about him.

“Yes, but Mark, don’t tell me he hasn’t tasted you yet,” Pete almost whimpered as he thought back on how Tom’s lips felt wrapped around him. Mark shook his head slowly, remaining deathly quiet as if the silence alone was to urge Pete to continue. Pete then drew closer, lifting his hands to graze the side of Mark’s arms, the tips of his fingers earning him a subtle shiver from the other male. They watched each other, Pete all the while moving in on him.

“When he first suggested the idea, I didn’t believe one second of it,” Pete started with a distant look in his eyes as he recalled the memory. “But he was pretty adamant, and didn’t even hesitate. I swear he must have done it before, but he swore he hadn’t,” he continued, his pupils beginning to dilate. “He licked his lips, and pulled me completely inside. It was so warm and inviting,” Pete went on, dragging his fingers up and down Mark’s arm in a caressing fashion, probably not even aware of his actions. 

“The way he moved his tongue over my head, and toyed with my balls with those heated fingertips,” he was breathing much heavier at this point as he spoke, almost unable to continue before a soft moan fell from his lips.

“Sounds - hot,” Mark remarked after a moment, swallowing a lump that had been building in his throat. Pete appeared as if he were floating in a lustful haze, only then coming back down to Earth when Mark spoke. He nodded in agreement, taking a step back from Mark while his hands slid from Mark’s arms, and swayed by his side momentarily.

“I was moments away from returning the favor,” Pete said, his tone dropping in defeat. “I pulled over, and naturally there had been a cop following us; for how long, I don’t know. But damn, it totally fucked up the mood,” he finished with a shake of his head and a soft laugh. Mark offered a solemn smile, not sure what to say at this point. He hadn’t been expecting any kind of explanation from either of them about what happened, but the detailed story of Tom giving head was rather intriguing if he had to be honest with himself. He knew already how well of a kisser Tom was, but to think of him putting his mouth to Mark’s cock was causing an ache to build, one Mark wasn’t sure he needed at the moment.

“I’m sorry,” Mark offered, gaining a mild shrug from Pete. Mark didn’t understand another pressure that had been building since Pete had started talking about what happened between him and Tom. Before, Mark had almost completely forgotten about it, and moved on from it; yet, at the same time, it remained as the basis as to why he had even pursued anything from the male, despite him not even being the first one to initiate anything between them. He didn’t like the tightening in his chest when the realization that Pete had been Tom’s first had hit him, that much he was only starting to understand.

“No, I’m sorry for holding you up, I’ll go find something else to entertain me,” Pete said, ignoring the bland apology Mark had given him. He could tell where the bassist’s interests laid, and it wasn’t in this room standing in the dark, awkwardly trying to maintain a conversation. Mark felt a pang of regret for only a moment, feeling guilty for ultimately giving Pete the cold shoulder, but what was he to do? He had someone waiting for him, someone he couldn’t wait to get back to.

“You’re okay?” Mark asked, unsure if it was even an appropriate time to ask that question. Pete smiled at his inquiry, amused Mark was concerned at all about him. He wasn’t a bad guy, after all, but he understood his place in Mark’s world, and he was determined to be okay with it. He nodded finally, lifting a hand to drop on Mark’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Yea, of course, but I’m a little jealous to be honest. Oh well, such is life,” Pete answered, shrugging near the end of his statement. He drew back, turning to the door just before he reached it, all the while keeping a steady gaze on Mark, who stood motionless blanketed in shadows. A soft chuckle fell from him as he exited, leaving the door ajar. Mark waited until his shadow beneath the gap between the floor and the door had vanished before he started to move towards it himself, finding the living room empty still.

He didn’t put much thought into where Pete had disappeared to, stepping quickly to the front door, and not stopping until he was at the top of the stairs again, staring down the decline with as much hesitation as before. The only way he could get down them was through pure determination, which he had plenty of. He just didn’t want to blast his way down if it meant falling through splintered wood and breaking something. He swallowed and made his descent, jogging away from the last step in a hurry to end the daunting experience.

Tom appeared just around a wall that separated the stairs and the parking lot by feet, only then realizing how fast his heart was pounding, and how light his head had become. Tom lifted his eyes to him, a kind smile gracing his lips causing Mark’s head to tingle even more, and his stomach to twist in a barrage of fluttering.

“Did you find them?” Tom asked innocently, watching his friend a bit oddly now that he noticed the strange shift in Mark’s demeanor.

To be continued…


	21. Part 21

_“ Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It’s a way of understanding it. “_

Mark cursed Pete inwardly, the man’s voice still echoing in the forefront of his mind. The hazy image Pete’s description had given Mark lingered between him and the actual Tom idling by his car. Regardless, he needed to compose himself, and quick. This was probably the worst time to get all choked up on details. There wasn’t any real reason for Pete to lie about what they had done, even Tom had already admitted it, but unlike Pete, he never did go into any depth about it. Mark lifted his hand where he clutched the metal ring loosely, dangling the keys just before stepping next to Tom.

“You okay?” Mark heard Tom’s voice, glancing from where he had focused himself on prying the key into the door to eventually twist and unlock it. However, all he managed to do was stab his handle a couple times before it finally jammed in, rewarding him the resounding click of his locks disengaging. He nodded mildly to Tom, though no words had come to him. Tom waited a few seconds before he stepped around to the passenger’s side, deciding to climb inside regardless of whatever inner turmoil Mark had been going through.

Mark stood outside the car a moment longer, lingering in the cool air to try and extinguish the heat he felt overcoming his body. It was too peculiar of a sensation, like a sudden fever taking over him. He finally opened the door, slipping down into the driver’s seat, and pulling the door closed trying not to slam it. Once inside, he realized how silent it had gotten, the piercing hum of it looming around them awkwardly. He had to do something about it, anything, so he stuck his key into the ignition, relieved when the enclosed cabin began to fill with soft music from his speakers when he only turned it, though not enough to start the car itself.

“What station is this, Grandpa FM?” Tom joked, gesturing towards the dial on the radio Mark had it set to. Mark wasn’t sure how to react to that, even knowing full well Tom was only joking around. Perhaps it was just the gripping pressure of being this closed in with him. Mark didn’t like he was starting to lose basic functions of being himself around Tom, and he didn’t particularly like that Tom had been able to keep his cool this entire time, at least from his perspective.

“Here, how about this one?” Mark remarked shortly, leaning forward to press one of his four presets on the dash. The intense melancholy tones came to an abrupt end, replaced by a heavy beat, and a progressive stream of plucked chords from an electric guitar pulsating through the speakers. Mark relaxed in his seat once more, regarding Tom again as if seeking approval of his choice in music.

“You didn’t have to change it, but this is cool,” Tom smiled into his words, shyly averting his eyes from Mark’s as soon they met. Mark hadn’t ever noticed before, or maybe he had and it was just a detail to him, and as a male he hadn’t put much thought into it, but there was something strangely endearing about Tom’s modesty. Sure, Mark had joked about his femininity before, but in no way did it demean who or what Tom was. Tom’s hazel hues flicked up towards Mark, a soft smile growing on his lips.

“You’re staring again,” Tom stated with a giggle, slouching in his seat as he continued to regard Mark, who didn’t seem to care anymore that he had been caught. He had gazed as if he wanted the heavens to know he was watching them, waiting patiently for them to hear him loud and clear. Mark smiled back this time, his visage more relaxed than before.

“I can’t help it, you’re such a pretty girl,” Mark said, finding his opportunity to lighten the mood with a little jesting of his own, gaining another quiet giggle from Tom. He had started to turn his body towards Tom as he felt more comfortable in their situation, but he soon found their current position much to their disadvantage. Tom furrowed his brows at Mark’s attempt to twist in his seat, pouting his bottom lip out empathetically.

“I’m gonna move to the back, there’s more leg room,” Tom said, opening his door and climbing out before Mark had a chance to get a word in. Mark watched him through the tinted windows as he opened the back door behind where he had just been and slid inside, glancing up at Mark wondrously. “You coming? It’s gonna be awkward trying to talk to you from up there,” he asked, leaning forward to press into the seat of the passenger side so he could speak to Mark.

The distance only left them inches from each other, smiling against the dimly lit interior of the car. Luckily, the shadows provided more coverage for them from outsiders, and the light that had made it inside was just enough for them to make out the details on each other’s faces now that they were closer. Mark swallowed, nodding as a lopsided smile forced it’s way on his lips. All the while, Tom had remained amused by Mark’s new behavior, having decided long ago he was in it for the long haul, so he was determined to ride the ride as long as it lasted. He had expected twists and turns, it had just been exciting to encounter them along the way, and to see where it took him next.

Tom’s eyes followed Mark’s figure as he moved to the backseat with him, enjoying the little rush of cool air that managed to gust inside as Mark opened and closed the door. Tom could feel the cushion shift as Mark’s weight first hit the seat, his shy eyes falling to his lap temporarily. Mark settled, adjusting himself so he was turned and facing Tom, with a leg propped up on the seat, and his elbow resting on the top of the seat.

Tom’s words from their walk whispered through Mark’s head every second that passed in their silence, still in disbelief about the whole thing. There was absolutely no way Tom was going to see it through, and no way Mark was ever going to initiate anything, purely out of fear. He was scared to death, yet sat there looking as cool as he could. Tom glanced to him, smiling and dropping all his defenses right before Mark’s eyes.

“I don’t get it,” Mark stated, grimacing slightly as he continued to gaze at Tom, who was looking to him now as if he saw right through him and straight into what he feared most, making it appear as if it were no big deal at all.

“What?” Tom asked, relaxing his shoulders, and turning his body as well to Mark. He hadn’t meant to come off as so reserved, especially after everything they had already done, but he couldn’t help himself around Mark. He didn’t feel the need to have to hide, or shelter himself. Mostly he committed his strength to keeping people at just the right distance. Mark had somehow snuck inside that bubble of his, breathed his own air, and touched his soul. Tom hadn’t objected yet, he didn’t believe he had any reason to now.

“You, you’re just a mystery, and all I want to do is figure it out. It’s killing me,” Mark admitted with a lighthearted chuckle, feeling helpless. It was definitely an odd thing for him to say, but Tom could understand what he meant by it, more or less. It rang true for Tom as well, nodding slowly.

“You’re just as much one, too, Mark,” Tom replied, shifting his position so he was almost mirroring Mark’s. Mark let out a satirical laugh, shaking his head at Tom’s comment.

“What are you talking about? I’m an open book, there’s nothing mysterious about me,” Mark countered, waving a hand absently. Tom’s lips tugged into a sly smile, amused by Mark’s own modesty. He couldn’t help himself, feeling something draw him forward to where he was now crawling to Mark. Mark’s expression widened imperceptibly, freezing as soon as he felt Tom’s leg graze his, then his arms slide in on either side of him, followed by the weight of his chest pressing slowly down into his.

“That’s not true at all, you’re more like a romance novel with a dark secret; where all the truth lies at the bottom of the blue ocean of your eyes, if anyone is ever brave enough to swim deep enough to find it,” Tom’s voice dropped as he spoke, his tone holding a slight rasp as he nearly whispered to Mark.

Mark’s lips quivered, his tongue tingling with the words he was sure he was supposed to speak next, but nothing came, only able to offer a faint nod, and a crooked grin. He didn’t care Tom sounded like he was reciting some kind of love poem, he was already completely taken over by the heat their bodies were now sharing in their close proximity; and the ever creeping knee between his legs.

To be continued…


	22. Part 22

_“ Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost. “_

Mark’s breath hitched in his throat as his eyes met Tom’s, their hazel hue dancing playfully against the dim glow radiating inside the car. Tom was moving closer on top of him, to the point where he had straddled Mark with one leg, and still kept a knee mischievously slid into Mark’s groin, rewarding him a subtle gasp. He smiled at the whimpering noise, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth to bite at it.

“Now, can I kiss you?” Tom asked quietly, the words rolling off his tongue. Mark had been transported a moment, still frozen in shock at Tom climbing on him in the first place. It took him a second to register Tom’s question before he nodded quickly, his mouth slowly falling open as he felt the front of Tom’s body press forward, leaning more of his weight on Mark. The warmth between them had become trapped by the pressure building as more of their body came in contact with the others. Mark’s eyes began to slip close when Tom’s lips nearly touched his, only opening them again when he felt Tom retreat by inches.

Tom smirked at the gesture, enjoying the way Mark reacted to his teasing; all disgruntled and dissatisfied. He had also come to really like the way Mark’s body squirmed under his, and most of all, how warm and comfortable it was. He wanted to explore, resisting the urge to just attack Mark and feel every inch of him. He knew he wanted to take his time, which was rewarding him very pleasurable noises from Mark, and equally enjoyable sensations for himself. Mark scowled at the male once more, finally giving up and leaning his head back when Tom had moved his lips away just in the nick of time.

“Come on,” Mark whined lightly, his hands sliding up the sides of Tom’s legs, and resting on his hips once he found them. A audible purr escaped Tom’s throat at Mark’s touch, slowly rolling his hips forward which had caused their groins to suddenly collide. Both men gasped simultaneously, in awe of the new friction they had discovered with that one little action of Tom’s hips. Mark squeezed Tom’s waist, pulling them closer into him, and this time lifting his own hips to meet Tom’s in the middle, exhaling a heavy breath at the pleasing feeling.

Tom moved with Mark’s hands as his guided him at an agonizing pace, drawing out the gratifying pressure meeting the growing erection in his pants. He knew he was getting hard, much harder than he had gotten before, and his only worry was what Mark would do once he felt it. It didn’t occur to him right away what they essentially were doing was rubbing their dicks together, but it had been different before; he wasn’t as hard as he was now, the ache building and tenting his pants noticeably. 

He pushed forward anyway, ignoring the little insecurity in his head. The whole reason they decided to do this was to have fun and explore each other, touching the other’s cock was bound to happen.

“You’re really hard already,” Mark commented in a whisper, breaking the tense air floating around them. Tom could feel his face warm, and flush with blood. Of course he was, but it was a little embarrassing having Mark point it out to him so bluntly. Maybe he found it weird and didn’t want Tom to touch him. He wasn’t sure what to do but nod slowly, and offer an innocent smile. He was confused by Mark’s furrowed brows, looking to him solemnly as they laid there motionless.

“Is that a bad thing?” Tom asked, having to swallow immediately after when his nerves began to swell inside his throat, threatening to restrict him from speaking at all. Mark smirked at his question, pushing his way forward so he could try and sit up a bit to reach closer to Tom’s face.

“No, it’s just you haven’t kissed me yet,” Mark stated, inching his way towards Tom’s lips with his own. He slid a hand back from Tom’s waist, smoothing it over his inner thigh, and eventually cupping his palm over the tent in Tom’s pants. He could feel the warmth of Tom’s cock radiate through the thin fabric, his breath becoming much heavier at the thought of actually wrapping his fingers around it’s ever growing girth. Tom’s breath caught in his throat, his body reacting instinctively to the touch by pushing into it.

Tom didn’t waste much more time, taking one last look at Mark’s possessed expression lusting after him, before he closed the distance between their mouths. He licked his tongue first along Mark’s lips, not waiting for the male to open his mouth fully before he was demanding entrance. He loved how deeply they kissed, enjoying the deep strokes of their tongues against each other, and the way Mark’s lips fit just right against his.

A moan fell from Mark’s lips as Tom kissed him; every tilt of his head, every meaningful swipe of his tongue, and lust driven press against Mark was heavy with passion and need. Mark felt like he was losing himself, becoming ultimately numb to the world as Tom’s heat took him over. He had to remember where he was, and what it was he was doing. He opened his eyes to the best of his ability, remembering himself after a moment, and starting a torturous pace on Tom’s groin as he started to rub his palm up and down it.

He loved the way Tom’s face contorted at his touch, and even more so how much he showed Mark he needed what Mark was doing. There were no objections from the other male, which encouraged Mark to continue, and sneak his way to the button and zipper keeping Tom’s cock at bay, and blocking Mark from what he wanted.

He didn’t know what this odd yearning was to touch Tom. They had seen each others dicks before, but never in this light. There was something extremely hot about the way Tom’s cock tempted Mark, having finally undone his pants after all the anticipation had built up while he was he prying the button and zipper loose as they kissed.

Tom hadn’t even noticed what Mark’s fingers were doing until he felt the warmth of his skin against his lower torso. He gasped sharply at the feeling, though didn’t break their kiss, sliding his tongue along Mark’s slowly. Mark continued his descent into Tom’s boxers, breaking their kiss in favor of trailing his lips along Tom’s jaw until he reached just behind his ear, using his tongue to toy with the lobe. Tom hummed as he felt warm fingers wrap around him, melting in the sensation immediately.

Tom’s cock felt much different than his own, Mark could admit, but it wasn’t strange to him, which in itself was odd. It wasn’t that much thicker either, but it’s length was interesting to him, finding it rather satisfying smoothing his hand up Tom’s cock from the base of it all the way to the top of the head where he let his fingers linger and toy with the sensitive skin. He squeezed lightly as he drew his hand up once more, milking Tom of a drop of clear liquid, and used it to rub between his thumb and index. He used the lubrication to slip is hand down again, moistening the skin.

“That feels really good,” Tom breathed, sitting up to straddle Mark now. He wasn’t the only one hard, able to feel Mark’s cock poking him in the leg where he sat on his lap. Mark nodded slowly, still focusing on sliding his hand up and down the length of Tom’s cock. He could lay here all night transfixed by the heat glowing into his fingers as he rubbed Tom, content with just making out and jerking off all night. Tom had taken his opportunity while Mark’s neck was exposed to his mouth, pressing soft kisses to the sensitive area.

“Yea it does,” Mark managed, letting his eyes close as Tom’s tongue worked small circular patterns on his skin. His hand had almost come to a stop though, opening his eyes to regard Tom through a blurred haze of lust blinding him temporarily when he had drawn his head back. His motions were much more methodical now, watching Tom carefully now.

“Do you want to slow down?” Mark asked quietly, meeting Tom’s uncertain gaze. Tom’s expression shifted thoughtfully as if he were weighing his options, only then shaking his head slightly. Tom curved his body, still moving against Mark’s grip sliding across the length of his cock to encourage him to continue at his previous pace.

He was lost in that sensation, unable to keep his mouth off of Mark’s when he plunged in for another kiss. Mark smiled into him gratefully, his movements becoming more fluid and rejuvenated. His only thought now was how long they could stand to lay here doing this, and more than that, what else they could possibly do.

To be continued…


	23. Part 23

_“ I jerk off inside books and give life to words, leaving concepts stuck together you probably never heard. “_

Tom breathed out slowly, thrusting into Mark’s hand that was now pumping his cock expertly in a most pleasurable rhythm. He didn’t want Mark to ever stop; even if he were to come close to cumming, he still wouldn’t want it to end. Tom pressed himself further down onto Mark, now almost completely laying on top of him. Mark lifted his other arm to wrap around Tom, holding him in place in case he were to try and escape him. Of course, it would have been the last thing Tom ever did; not with Mark’s hand still working him like he was.

“I wanna try something,” Tom whispered in Mark’s ear, the warmth of his breath hitting it causing Mark to shiver faintly. Tom’s voice was quiet, barely audible as he tried to speak through what Mark’s hand was doing. He broke their kiss, distancing himself to look over Mark once more before returning his lips to the man’s neck, placing a trail of light kisses all the way down to his collarbone until there was no more skin left to contact. That’s when he realized they were wearing far too much clothing, and wanted very badly to continue exploring that soft skin that continued under Mark’s shirt.

Mark could feel Tom’s warm palms sneak under his shirt from the bottom, tensing his stomach at the feeling. He relaxed slowly, breathing out when Tom’s hands ventured up over the curve of his ribs and onto his chest, encouraging Mark to lift his arms. That entailed having to slip his hand away from Tom’s weeping cock, which he did ruefully. But, once his shirt was off, and Tom’s hands were back on his exposed chest, he returned to his post, the skin slippery from a buildup of precum Mark managed to milk from Tom. He wondered, though, what it was Tom was talking about trying, the thought only coming to mind now once he had remembered Tom had said it.

Tom was busy indulging himself on the rises and dips of Mark’s torso, following an indent in the center of it all the way back up to his collarbone, all the while leaving small, faint kisses along the skin. Maybe Tom had forgotten, or had gotten distracted, but all he seemed interested in was pleasing a small patch of skin just under Mark’s jaw, his breath forcing a giggle out of Mark as it tickled him. The guitarist hovered his mouth along the jaw, moving past Mark’s cheek to find his parted lips still smiling broadly from Tom’s assault.

The air in the car seemed more pressurized than before, closing in on their bodies, and encompassing them in a heat that only grew exponentially over time. Mark could barely catch his breath, fighting the vice tightening around his lungs the more intense their kiss had become. Tom drew his head back again, panting at Mark as he lifted himself up to hover over him. There was a faint sheen on his forehead, minute beads of sweat coming into focus as Mark looked over him more carefully. He hadn’t anticipated how stifling it would be inside the car, beginning to wonder if he should crack a window before they suffocated.

From Tom’s perspective; peering down at a breathless figure captured in the moon’s beam, that somehow only managed to find itself illuminating a patch over Mark’s eyes, caused him to become too caught up in the pure euphoria of the simple action of Mark’s hand stroking him. He didn’t care how hot it was, or how moist he had become in Mark’s grip; it felt wonderful, and he didn’t want to stop. But, he felt deprived somehow, like something had been missing from the equation.

And that’s when he figured it out, finally deciding to drop his roaming hand along Mark’s chest to graze the bulge in his pants, thumbing over the head experimentally. Mark wiggled into the feeling gently, his eyes closing slowly. He wanted very badly to get lost in the sensation of Tom touching him, yearning for it now more than ever. Tom was taking his sweet time, breathing out as calmly as he could muster while he rubbed his hand down into the growing erection.

Tom had remembered what it had felt like with Pete, how soft it felt at first, then how it hardened in his grip the longer he toyed with it. But, Mark had already been aching long before Tom decided to pay him any attention, which surprised Tom at first, or in the least, caught him off guard. He had started to conform his hand along the length of the swell beneath the fabric, grasping it as he started to drag his hand up and then back down. Mark’s breaths were becoming ragged, shallow and rapid as Tom continued to torture him through his pants.

This still wasn’t what Tom had had in mind, but it was definitely a start. He had gone almost all the way with Pete, at least, as far as sucking him off and letting the man cum in his mouth. Never in a million years had he ever expected to let someone do that, let alone let Pete do it. He wanted to regret it, but he couldn’t bring it upon himself to even think that way. It was an experience no matter how he looked at it, and it had felt good to him; there was no point in regretting it. No one forced him to do it then, and no one was forcing him now. He honestly couldn’t get the thought of it out of his head; how badly he had wanted to taste Mark now that his mind, and palette, was clear of Pete.

Tom allowed Mark to jerk him a moment longer before he drew away his hips reluctantly, kissing and licking at Mark’s abs as he dipped his body downward. That had given him a chance to further explore, reaching a small patch of hair receding into his pants that appeared all too promising. Mark felt his hand slip from Tom’s cock, whining quietly at the emptiness between his fingers, but quickly inhaling a breath as Tom assaulted his lower extremities with his lips.

“Wait,” Mark sighed, trying to make his voice heard through the stifled moan that slipped through his lips before he could even speak. Tom paused, lifting his head to glance at the male inquisitively. He had worried for a second Mark had wanted him to stop, but that stricken look on Mark’s face looked more needy than anything else. He smiled to the man softly, flicking out his tongue and dipping into the curve of Mark’s stomach where the hem of his pants met his waist. Whatever Mark had wanted to say he had forgotten already, probably just trying to give himself a moment to catch up with what was happening.

Tom waited a second more for Mark to speak, and when he didn’t he continued to kiss down his stomach, inch by inch, until he hit the top of his pants. He trailed his fingers along Mark’s sides, ghosting over the skin towards the button. It didn’t take much effort, but he was methodical in undoing Mark’s pants; teasing him with his agonizing pace while he pressed more soft kisses along the skin that appeared as he started to pull Mark’s pants down once he had them open.

Mark was frozen in anticipation, heeding to Tom’s every touch. There was no way it felt as good as Tom made it feel, and yet somehow he was suspended. He needed to cling to something, to hold on for dear life, something at this point as Tom’s hands grazed his exposed thighs. He watched as quietly as he had been since Tom started his descent, still unable to speak. Tom seemed transfixed by his current venture, not once looking at Mark while he fingered the elastic band of Mark’s boxers, and started pulling them down.

Mark’s breath caught in his throat, forcing him to hold it as his cock plopped out of his boxers, and bobbed right before Tom’s face. His entire body heated from the single action, that familiar feverish chill overwhelming him. He whimpered audibly, finally catching Tom’s eyes that flitted up to him, and watched him with that same wondrous expression as before.Tom couldn’t have been doing this all for show, not with the way he was smoothing his hands over Mark’s skin towards his cock in such a teasing fashion, and not with the longing way he regarded it.

“You don’t have to,” Mark managed to speak, his half lidded eyes looking to Tom helplessly. Tom blinked up at him, only able to offer a small smile as his hand wrapped around Mark’s cock and gave it a squeeze. Mark gasped quietly, shuddering and melting into his touch.

“I want to,” Tom answered simply, starting to smooth his hand up very slowly to gain as much reaction from the other as possible. He could feel just by how Mark’s cock pulsated and swelled in his grip that he wanted it just as badly as he did.

To be continued…


	24. Part 24

_“ The number one job of the dominant is to continually seduce consent from the bottom. “_

Mark couldn’t help the involuntary way his hips bucked into Tom’s hand, which had gradually picked up it’s pace where he was pumping the man’s cock almost aggressively. Mark soon lost himself in another deep kiss once he found Tom’s lips again. They didn’t need to speak anymore, completely captured in the singular action of pleasuring one another. Mark wasn’t able to do much but lay there, and try to keep himself at bay. It was hard not moving as much as he wanted to into Tom’s hand, feeling a deep, tingling pressure steadily build in his gut.

He wanted to get back to touching Tom, but the younger male wasn’t giving him any opportunity to lean towards him again. He was imprisoned by the hand moving along his cock, every nerve ending flaring intensely and shooting sparks throughout his body. It made him weak, giving to Tom without putting up any kind of a fight. Tom had noticed how well Mark reacted, which only encouraged him to continue at his rapid pace. He hummed lowly when he felt something moist began to build between his fingers, squeezing along the shaft to the tip of Mark’s cock, and watching the clear liquid seep from the slit.

However much fun Tom was having, jerking Mark off wasn’t the end game for him; far from it. Before they had started he had been quite dubious about the whole adventure, fretting inwardly until the moment they started kissing again. From there, everything they did seemed to fall into place naturally, like they had done this a million times before despite it feeling like their first time. There were still moments they fumbled, and accidentally sat on a hand, or dug an elbow into the other, but he couldn’t recall sex, or even messing around, ever being perfect. Mark wasn’t necessarily clumsy, but he hesitated a lot, and that may have been why Tom felt like he had been taking the lead.

Tom was okay with that realization, because as the night wore on and they became braver and more comfortable, Mark had started to reciprocate in ways Tom had never imagined. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting from him, but being left feeling heavy and hot, and yearning for more was a little more than he had bargained for. He felt climbing into the back of Mark’s car to relieve that tension between them was probably the best idea he had had all night. Of course, there was some help from a whole body numbing sensation, but he still felt very much aware, especially surrounded by Mark’s embrace, his scent, and his oddly sweet flavor.

Mark felt it, too. He could see inside Tom’s eyes almost exactly what it was he was feeling; free, and liberated beyond who he even was. Though, at the same time, there was something about Tom that persisted, something that Mark knew and was greatly familiar with. It didn’t seem to matter Tom had taken something to feel numb to his inhibitions to allow them to actually do this. To Mark, Tom had still been there, in everything he said or did. Tom had freed himself from his own imprisonment, not just from the world.

“I like when you watch me,” Tom panted, pushing his tongue up along his top lip as Mark regarded him breathlessly, having been so lost in thought he had been caught staring again. He tried to smile but a pulse of pleasure shot through his gut and down into his groin, causing him to squeeze the bottom of the seat. Tom had only been using his hand up until now, but Mark had remained painfully aware of Tom’s mouth slowly encroaching on his thigh. The warm breath cascaded down his skin, forcing a shiver out of him. Tom was trying to tease him again, and that in itself felt so good to Mark.

What Mark hadn’t expected at that moment was Tom’s tongue to drag up along the underside of his cock, the wet muscle only stopping where the head began to mushroom out. He lingered there, flicking his tongue over the swell of the head back and forth, and inducing a low, sensual groan to purr inside Mark’s throat. The sound was much different than the ones he had made before, they seemed deeper, and less inhibited. They were still music to Tom’s ears, sliding his tongue in a pattern around the head until he had moistened the whole head with his saliva.

“Slow down,” Mark said unwillingly, clenching his eyes shut as Tom’s mouth engulfed the head fully. The feeling was fleeting, the warmth of his mouth disappearing when Tom drew his head back, and swallowing an excess buildup of saliva before quirking an eyebrow up at Mark.

“How much slower do you want me to go?” Tom asked, genuinely wondering if Mark had been too worked up already, and needed Tom to stop a moment. Mark shook his head, wishing he could take back what he had said. But Tom was watching him now, and his mouth still lingered just inches from Mark’s cock that ached for some kind of contact.

“Don’t listen to me, I’m just being sensitive,” Mark admitted, running a hand through his own hair which sat unstyled and in a mess atop his head. Tom crinkled his nose playfully, entertained by Mark’s disheveled demeanor. It was true, Tom had been drawing everything out as painstakingly long as possible, taking his time on every detail. With Pete, he had just gone for it, which he was sure still felt good, but not as good as he was trying for this time. He was grateful his tediousness was paying off, enjoying the distress it caused Mark.

Tom had been ready to get back to his work when something outside caught his attention. He lifted his head further from Mark’s waist to try and get a better look, a soft smile rising on his lips from what he saw.

“Ah,” Tom verbalized, pointing his index finger out towards the window, and looking to Mark as a smirk crept into the edges of his smile. Mark blinked, sitting himself up the best he could with Tom still partially laying on top of him, and wincing when he realized Tom still had a good grip around the base of his cock. He twisted his head around slightly, peeking outside the window. The first thing he noticed was the sleek sheen covering the ground, then what appeared to be faint sheets of rain ghosting through a wayward wind.

“What? It’s raining? Just what we need, to get wet again,” Mark protested, turning back to Tom with a slight pout on his face. Tom grinned at his comment, imagining beyond what he had insinuated.

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with getting a little wet,” Tom interjected in a low tone, narrowing his eyes at Mark mischievously, and dipping his head down. He drew his tongue along Mark’s cock, able to feel the swell of skin harden under his hand from a surge of blood.

To be continued…


	25. Part 25

_“ Being soaked alone is cold. Being soaked with your best friend is an adventure. “_

There was more than just a rush to Mark’s cock, feeling his head pool with blood, and his entire body quake from Tom’s assaulting tongue. Tom didn’t let up either, licking his way to the top to flick his tongue across the slit, while squeezing his hand up the shaft to draw out the clear, sticky substance he was sure Mark had ready for him.

“You get so excited,” Tom commented thoughtfully, smiling while he lapped the liquid up with several strokes of his tongue. Mark shuddered, taken over by a sense of euphoria gripping him wholly from the friction Tom created with just the texture of his tongue along the sensitive head. He thought it had felt good before, but he obviously had greatly underestimated Tom’s ability. He was much better at this than Mark had previously thought, or even anticipated. Then again, Mark hadn’t been sure what to expect. He just knew he thought about this a lot during their time together, and it would have bothered him only if it had started impeding him.

Mark couldn’t offer any words. What the hell was he supposed to say? The tension between them had started to grow the moment Tom decided to seal their little promise with an equally silly little kiss. Mark hadn’t been exactly sure what to make of it, but hadn’t thought to ask at the time. Tom was finally relieving Mark of the ache growing tighter and tighter inside him, he didn’t feel any particular need to say anything.

“God, has anyone ever told you how hot you look with a cock in your mouth?” Mark asked with a heavy breath, looking down at Tom to watch him as he worked on him. Tom lifted his eyes to meet Mark’s gaze, wrapping his lips around the head, and slowly sliding it into his mouth. Another strained moan pushed out from Mark’s lips, scowling through a rush of pleasure vibrating up his cock.

Mark didn’t know what he wanted, pushing his hips up into Tom, feeling deprived, and yearning for more. He tried to control himself, but the action had been almost involuntary. Tom had let his eyes slip close once he knew Mark had been watching him, enjoying the audience. He could feel Mark writhe beneath him, moving a hand to Mark’s lower stomach to try and hold him steady. He liked his enthusiasm, but at the same time did not want to be overwhelmed considering this was his second time doing this kind of thing.

“Oh man,” Mark breathed, tilting his head slightly to try and angle himself so he could witness his cock being devoured inch by inch as Tom took him in. That’s when he did something he hadn’t exactly meant to do; he reached a hand out to Tom’s head, slipping his fingers between the soft, silky strands of Tom’s hair. He froze the second he realized he had done so, but was even more shocked when Tom reciprocated with a quiet noise of approval, bobbing his head then more enthusiastically. Tom’s hand squeezed up along the shaft where his mouth preceded it, taking as much as he could when he swallowed Mark’s cock again, and keeping his tongue firmly pressed along the underside of it.

Tom could feel the pressure collect and swell inside his mouth, a familiar rush of blood enlarging and hardening the member further. Mark was getting close, Tom could tell, and not just by the stifled moans, and desperate gasps of need building out of Mark’s throats, but because he had become to know this sensation that had filled him before. It excited him, deep in his chest where something simmered that he had never felt so intimately before. It felt now, more than ever, like a burning need to relieve Mark of the tightening pressure building in his cock that caused it to twitch and spasm in Tom’s mouth in such an interesting way.

While Tom was working to get Mark to his climax, the bassist, however, was holding on for dear life to try and savor all the lovely things Tom was making him feel. He stroked his hand through Tom’s hair a little longer, pressing along the scalp with his fingertips gently, and watching the younger male appreciatively. He hated himself for what he was about to do, because god forgive him if he didn’t let allow himself to cum inside Tom’s willing mouth. Reluctantly, he gripped a handful of Tom’s hair and tugged very lightly, first gaining Tom’s attention who blinked his eyes open up at him.

Mark smiled warmly through a haze, breathing out a sigh as he leaned forward just enough to reach out to Tom’s shoulders. Tom watched him curiously, feeling himself being drawn away. Mark’s cock twitched in protest once it hit open air, Tom’s saliva still very heavily coating almost every inch of it. Tom flicked his eyes up to Mark as they both sat up, scooting closer to meet each other in the middle.

“Everything okay?” Tom asked with a tone lingering with apprehension as he lifted a finger to his lips to wipe away excess spit. Mark gave him a nod, shifting his body closer and trying to lean in for a kiss, only then managing to jab his elbow into Tom’s thigh. Tom winced but didn’t move, giggling as Mark straightened himself and regarded him with a pathetic look. “Are you sure?” Tom pressed, keeping his hands to himself at the moment. It didn’t seem like Mark had really wanted him to stop, but Tom had decided to respect their new distance, though just as reluctantly as Mark.

“I’m just nervous,” Mark admitted with a soft chuckle, blushing when his eyes fell to his lap and realized he was still bobbing before all of mankind to see. Tom felt it, too, the nervousness creeping in his demeanor, but wasn’t so quick to own the feeling. He was simply trying to enjoy the ride, and took from it whatever fruits it bore to him. Mark had said something earlier about slowing down a little. Tom had chalked it up to nerves again, and figured Mark just wasn’t ready for what came next.

Mark lifted his eyes to Tom finally, letting his gaze trail down the slim body across from him to the tent barely visible under his pants. A smirk edged it’s way across Mark’s lips, both intrigued and far more nervous than before. Toying with another guy was an endeavor he hadn’t exactly explored, but instead had only ever been on the receiving end. He wondered if there was a reason behind it, but the thought process wasn’t making itself clear to him at the moment. Why hadn’t he ever experimented back?

Pete, of the very few times they fooled around, had never pressed into the matter of Mark doing something for him. He seemed perfectly content giving Mark whatever pleasure he needed to get off. Why had doing the same exact act suddenly invoked this desire to fulfill Tom just as much, if not more? As much as he enjoyed every second of what Tom had done, he wanted to touch Tom himself, to make him feel as equally good, and not just because of how beautiful Tom looked when he’s gripped with pleasure.

A soft smile graced the corners of Tom’s mouth as he watched Mark, who seemed to be in quiet contemplation. He wasn’t sure what was going on in that head of his. He could have asked but he felt somewhat awkward, especially after Mark had abruptly stopped him when he knew the man was close. Mark looked back to him, inching forward. Wordlessly, he pressed a soft kiss to Tom’s lips, holding it there until the male pushed his mouth back.

It felt good to just kiss again, to explore the texture and taste of the other’s mouth, and the warmth of their palms smoothing over each other’s skin. Mark had begun to crawl towards Tom, trying to find a way to maneuver him to his back without anymore stabbing of extremities. Tom followed Mark’s guide, scooting his butt downward to give himself room for his back to lay against the seat. He scowled for a second, causing Mark to break their kiss and peer down at him.

“Did I hurt you?” Mark worried, checking to make sure he wasn’t positioned anywhere on top of Tom in an uncomfortable manner. Tom shook his head, sighing somewhat helplessly.

“Nah, it’s the seat buckle,” Tom said with a breath of a laugh in his voice. They looked to each other silently, grinning as if they both knew what the other was thinking. Tom was a pretty tall guy, and Mark wasn’t exactly a shorty himself; his car wasn’t turning to be conducive to their goals.

“Wanna go inside?” Mark offered as he remained hovered over Tom. The guitarist leaned his head back to get a peek outside the window, hoping to see a break in the weather but only finding the rain was starting to come down harder than before.

“We probably should,” Tom agreed, looking back to Mark who still hadn’t moved. There was another pause between them, the soft pelting of the rain growing louder and louder as the buzz of silence around them fizzled into the white noise of the weather outside.

“Okay,” Mark concluded, finally moving back to give Tom enough room to sit up.

To be continued…


	26. Part 26

_“ Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain. “_

They scooted towards their windows, glancing to each other as they grabbed the door handles. They pulled simultaneously, climbing out, quickly shutting the doors, and jogging towards the stairs as hurriedly as they could. The wind had picked up dramatically, more than what a few trees blowing in the lot had let on from the safety of inside Mark’s car. The air was much colder now, and the heavy drops felt like ice hitting their skin.

Mark was ahead of Tom, though in his mind he couldn’t figure out how he managed to get there before him. He waited at the door anyway, considering he may have just been panicking about the stairs again, and subconsciously wanted to get it over with, perhaps rushing ahead. He felt the taller male press himself behind him impatiently, indicating to him he was there, and ready to get inside. Mark pushed open the door, only then noticing the room was much darker than before, and there were bodies strewn across the floor. Once Tom was inside, they looked to each other again, and moved along the wall to avoid the sleeping forms. They shivered against the cold drops that penetrated their clothing, now once again slightly dampened.

By memory, Mark was able to get them to the room they had occupied before, grateful to have at least found it available still. The couch was clear, as well as a chair that sat beside it, but some feet away were a few other people, none that Mark could recognize.

“This is kind of creepy, man,” Tom commented, though barely audible from where Mark stood just a foot from him. There were no lights, or any sign of anyone actually being awake. Mark nodded to Tom, giving him a light shrug. He couldn’t drive them home in the state they were in, and if he didn’t find Pete, they’d end up awkwardly standing around for a couple hours to sober up before they can hit the road.

Mark remembered his phone, glancing to the night stand some feet ahead of him. He could easily just text Pete, and see what was going on. He gestured to Tom to stay put with a single index finger, pointing to floor then to his lips to indicate for the male to remain quiet as well. Tom followed the finger with his eyes curiously, then watched Mark step away to the small table and grab something from its surface. He turned it on, frowning when he noticed 3 missed called and 6 messages; all from Pete.

_" **Pete:** Hey man where are?_

_I can't seeee you!_

_A real bad storm coming, Marky! Take that shit inside!_

_Just realized your phone is in my room._

_I don't think I can stay alive much longer. I'm calling it a night, you guys crash here for the night._

_See you in the morning! "_

Mark skimmed through the messages, glancing up at Tom as he walked back towards him with a bit of a concerned look on his face, though inwardly, he felt he had become rather resolute on what they needed to do. His only worry was what Tom would want to do. Mark wasn’t certain if he’d be asked to, but if Tom wanted to go home, there wouldn’t be a lot Mark could do for him. He clenched the phone in his hand and dropped it into his pocket, glancing down at an empty spot just in front of them, then to the rest of the room.

“Maybe we should find a place, too,” Mark suggested, slipping his hands into his pockets as he tried to go over their options. The next best thing was to claim an empty spot on the floor and catch some shut eye. There was no telling how long they’d be able to sleep, but any kind of rest at this point would be better than none. If anything, it’d sober up at least one of them enough to get them back to their own hotel and get some real rest.

“What, like on the floor?” Tom questioned, bringing a finger to his lips to chew on the tip absently. He wasn’t sure he liked their new adventure of coming inside. Even if everyone around them had been completely passed out, they weren’t alone anymore, and couldn’t share that intimacy they had with just the two of them in the backseat of Mark’s car. Tom let out an indiscernible pout, turning to Mark as he stepped closer to place a concerned hand on his arm. Mark glanced to him momentarily then back to the floor, nodding slowly at first, than more sure of himself.

“Yea, we should. In the morning, I’ll get us home,” Mark said reassuringly, looking back to Tom for approval, who nodded simply at the plan. Mark was pleased for the moment, but still unsure how it was supposed to work out. They didn’t have any pillows or blankets, or cushions really, and the love seat was far to small for either of them to get comfortable in. He resolved himself to the floor with Tom, just as they had done before. 

He peeked around the corner through the threshold of the open door, spotting a stray sheet thrown over the back of the couch right on the other side of the wall he stood against. He leaned around the door, yanking the sheet off and pulling it towards him, then lifting it up victoriously to Tom as he turned to him, only noticing that the taller male had already found a thin blanket of his own clutched loosely in his hand that hung by his side. Mark couldn’t tell where he had gotten it, but at least now they had two covers they could use. The air was still quite cold around them, even inside the hotel room.

Tom hadn’t spoken yet, smiling at Mark’s antics and following him from the door to a spot near the love seat they had been just before. The floor was clear for the most part, at least with a few feet clear for both the men to lay comfortably, if not closely, next to each other.

Just as Mark was about to kneel down a crash of thunder against the window pane startled him. He glanced quickly up to Tom, then back to the window that rattled as thunder clapped angrily just on the outside of the thin glass. For a moment the ferocity of the storm gave them the impression that any minute now the glass was to shatter and burst through, letting the torrential storm in. 

The room was filled with the chaotic cacophony of mother nature’s fury; her screaming winds banging against the walls, and her long, rumbling deep rolls of thunder never seeming to cease into the distance. It was crazy to think how sudden the storm had come up on them like that, with hardly any signal that it was on its way when they were outside before.

Tom soon followed Mark, kneeling down as well, and eventually laying down on his back. He loved the storm, especially with the cover of rain masking any noise they may have made laying down. He didn’t want to risk waking anybody up. It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to sleeping on the floor, but it was just particularly awkward since it was somebody else’s hotel room full of strangers. He remembered the blankets and tossed them over his legs, laying his arms down by his sides as he stared at the ceiling.

“This sucks,” Tom whispered flatly, turning on his side to face Mark. Mark had still been trying to adjust his covers, though soon discovering there just wasn’t enough of it. He frowned to Tom as their eyes met, grimacing deeply when an amused smirk had crept onto Tom’s lips as he watched the bassist’s struggle. Tom had started offering a portion of his sheet, using a hand to slide it across Mark’s torso, pressing it along the way. Mark’s tempo changed at that moment, his heart quickening in his chest at the sudden attraction.

A noise crashed against the window. Faint explosions of light flickered behind shadows followed by growling thunder, which provided the perfect cover for Tom to catch Mark’s lips with his own, swallowing a moan crawling from Mark’s throat as Tom brazenly slid his hand further down into the man’s pants.

To be continued…


	27. Part 27

_“ I’m not dangerous,” I breathed.  
He brought his face toward mine. “You are to me.”  
And somehow, against all reason, we were kissing. ” _

Mark hadn’t processed how soon Tom had undone the bassist’s pants again, and slid his hand beneath the fabric, even moving under the elastic band of his boxers to reach inside and cup the man’s hardening groin in his palm. Mark breathed as steadily as he could with Tom’s tongue flicking against his own, inducing another low moan from him. Tom felt there had been enough foreplay between the two of them to skip it altogether. He had a yearning he needed to fulfill, and was going to waste no time to get what he wanted. Mark, on the other hand, was slightly more reserved than him, having been caught off guard by the sudden assault of fingers now wrapping around his cock. He had thought to protest, but was far too taken by the sensation to form coherent words.

Mark moved his hips against Tom’s stroking, beginning to turn his body so he was laying on his side to face him. He slid a hand across Tom’s side, pulling himself even closer so their chests were pressing into each other. Tom hadn’t let up yet, continuing his venture with long strokes of his hand that gripped the girth of Mark’s hard cock. He hadn’t been expecting Mark to get hard that fast, but he didn’t want to spend too much time jerking him off; he had his mind set on what he had done earlier, excited now to even think about it.

Tom broke the kiss, moving his head down slightly to press his lips along Mark’s jawline and collarbone as he explored downward, only to be stopped by a hand catching his chin and bringing his face back to Mark’s. He looked to Mark in a questioning manner, confused as to why the male would want to stop him. They both knew where Tom was going, but he didn’t understand why Mark wouldn’t want it, unless he somehow had become grossed out or turned off by the idea of Tom sucking him off. He blinked, still watching Mark when the bassist pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

“What’s wrong, don’t you want me to?” Tom asked finally when the man hadn’t said anything or offered any explanation as to why he impeded Tom. Mark drew his head back enough to look into Tom’s eyes, a lopsided smile curving on the edges of his lips.

“Of course I want you to, but you’ve been so good tonight,” Mark spoke in a low, alluring tone, lifting his hand to stroke the side of Tom’s face lovingly. He pushed his body further into Tom’s, sighing at the warmth and closeness the other male provided. Tom was still slightly confused; if Mark wanted him to, why wasn’t he letting him? And what had he meant by that last comment? Tom had started to open his mouth when Mark kissed him again, catching any noise that was about to come out. “You have no idea how badly I want to touch you,” Mark breathed as he pulled away with Tom’s bottom lip clenched between his teeth. Tom’s breath hitched, smirking as soon as Mark let go.

“I’ll let you,” Tom consented willingly, hearing the insinuation in Mark’s tone. Mark’s hand on Tom’s side ghosted down over his hip and around to grasp a handful of Tom’s ass, and give it a squeeze. Mark had only been thinking about getting Tom off, but hadn’t expected another thought to take root and completely throw him off his game. His mind reeled a moment as he stared at Tom, wide eyed and unable to get the image of Tom bent over for him out of his thoughts.

The whole time they had even been messing around it had only been kissing, touching, and a blow job. It never got any more serious than that, and they never made a big deal out of it either. Even the months before when Mark had started experimenting with guys he had never once considered having sex. But tonight, having Tom’s firm ass grasped in his hand, he couldn’t help but wonder what Tom would feel like; if he’d feel as warm, and inviting as girls do, or what it would even been like with a guy. He wasn’t ignorant to the concept, but he still wondered how it all worked out.

Tom watched him silently, furrowing his brow at the inquisitive, and rather baffled expression on Mark’s face as the bassist watched him. They had been staring at each other for almost 20 seconds now, Tom was beginning to wonder if Mark was having second thoughts, or was too nervous to continue. He tempted fate, pressing forward and kissing Mark lightly on the lips at first, hopefully to draw him out of his thoughts and back to the Earth to pay attention to him again. Mark smiled against the touch, humming lightly at the tenderness of Tom’s touch.

“What are you thinking about?” Tom inquired, touching his nose to Mark’s when he moved his lips away to speak. Mark’s eyes were trained on Tom’s puffy lips, still swollen from before. All he could think about was Tom’s mouth devouring him, the freshly plucked images flashing before his mind over and over again. He couldn’t very well tell Tom he was laying there thinking about fucking him. In fact, there was probably no chance in hell he’d ever divulge in that desire, scared to death it’d probably be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

If he told Tom now, even if they had been under the influence, he was more than certain the younger male would reject him on the spot, and run away from him. Then again, he couldn’t assume those kinds of things about Tom. He knew it was wrong of him to jump to conclusions, especially since Tom had specifically asked him not to in the past, but there was no helping his mind tonight. He was far too scared of losing the moment he was sharing with Tom then trying to see if he could get laid. It was just a thought, anyway, there was a more pressing matter at the moment he had wanted to take care of.

His main concern now was how to answer Tom. He didn’t want to just lay there, and explain to Tom how odd it felt that they both agreed to do this with each other, and possibly find some awkward medium between the two of them where they spend the rest of the night talking. It wouldn’t have been a bad thing, but Mark was hardly in the mood for conversation. He was extremely horny, and for some reason what he yearned for was Tom. He didn’t want to tell Tom how surprising it was, so he decided not to say anything, smiling kindly to the male before pressing another long kiss to his abused lips.

Tom kissed back, no longer feeling the need to question Mark when he felt a hand move down to his own groin, humming at the pleasurable sensation at being touched again. He felt as if he had been holding back all night, and as Mark worked on his button and got his zipper down, he could feel his heart starting to pound in his chest and his breath became heavy and quick. He was anticipating it, holding his breath as Mark teased the area with his fingers only grazing over his inner thigh at first, then stopping just above the base of his cock.

Mark hesitated a moment longer, enjoying the quiet whine that filled his ear from Tom’s lips so close to it. The storm hadn’t let up a bit, easily drowning out their noises, which only encouraged them to continue, and not worry too much about anyone else in the room. It was much easier to pretend no one else was there. Then again, it was completely strange for Tom to be like this, considering he was the one who worries the most about what people think. But, he hadn’t stopped once, or even checked if anyone was watching, so Mark didn’t bother to concern himself over it. It was much better for him to leave well enough alone. Tom would bring it up if he felt the need to, that much Mark was sure of.

“Touch me already,” Tom whimpered against Mark’s ear again, pushing his lips around the lobe and flicking his tongue along the sensitive skin. Mark shivered at the feeling, smirking at how impatient Tom was becoming. He moved his fingers down just a little more, rubbing the lowest part of Tom’s stomach slowly until he reached the swell under the guitarist’s boxers. Mark was savoring the last few seconds of anticipation, inching his way down beneath the fabric until his hand was completely wrapped around Tom’s cock, causing the male to exhale deeply as if he had relieved some kind of pent up tension.

Mark could hear a faint noise fall from Tom’s lips again, his mouth moving away from his ear and dropping to his neck where he buried his face, kissing and nipping at the skin sloppily as Mark started to work his hand up and down along Tom’s cock. He felt so warm and hard under his touch, the skin smooth and giving to him as he stroked his hand. He had wanted to do this so badly since they had gotten out of the car, he hadn’t thought it’d feel this good, surprised at how excited he was still getting by the sheer fact Tom was getting off by Mark touching him.

To be continued…


	28. Part 28

_“ I love oral sex. Just in general. “_

Working Tom like this was all well and good, but Mark was left with an insatiable craving. He tried longer, harder strokes, though nothing was giving him the sense of satisfaction his body so obviously yearned for from the man beneath his touch. Tom was oblivious to Mark’s unfulfillment, completely content with just being played with for the moment. He squirmed in Mark’s hand, biting down lusciously on his bottom lip. That had succeeded in distracting Mark long enough to lose his grip, his hand slipping awkwardly from the head of Tom’s cock.

“Dammit,” Mark cursed in a hushed voice, trying to adjust himself on his side to the best of his ability. Their little space on the floor was already cramped, and he didn’t want to risk bumping into someone else. He scooted closer to Tom, manager to find his girth again, and causing the younger male to open his eyes to observe the situation. Mark liked it better when Tom was breathing against his neck, not watching him in the curious manner he was now. He couldn’t help catching the man’s hazel hues, meeting his gaze with a soft, but reassuring smile. Tom blinked at him, not sure what to make of the gesture.

“Do you want to stop?” Tom whispered to him, slowly moving a hand to encompass Mark’s which ceased his hand from moving.

“No, not at all,” Mark replied coolly, swallowing a nervous lump in his throat as he watched Tom, whose tone seemed so serious all the sudden. It didn’t even sound like Tom to Mark, at least not what he was used to. There was no playful undertone, or his genuine lackadaisical attitude he carried in most situations; he was honestly trying to share an intimate experience with Mark. That, or was too enamored in what they doing. For the first time Mark had to question if this was within the realms of what they considered just being really friendly with each other, because even then it felt more affectionate than that. Perhaps that was all he needed to give him the confidence to continue his endeavor.

“Okay,” Tom spoke again, even quieter than before as he lifted his hand away and allowed Mark to stroke him. The bassist was kissing him again before any more words could find their way out. Mark kept his movements deliberate, and short, enjoying that he was to catch all the little noises slipping from Tom’s mouth into his own. Slowly, he started to venture down along Tom’s body, turning his body over to insinuate part of himself on top of Tom.

Tom knew right away what was happening, stifling a ragged moan Mark just barely missed as his lips reached further down Tom’s torso. Mark lifted Tom’s shirt, still gripping and pumping his cock with his other hand. He left a trail of sloppy kisses along the exposed skin, dragging his tongue with purpose towards the base of the swollen cock he had been working on. Mark’s warm breath brushed the surface of Tom’s skin just above his cock, causing Tom to shudder at the hot feeling. Mark took one last glance up at the guitarist before he couldn’t take it anymore, and moved to lap at the head of Tom’s cock with a few strokes of his tongue.

He had been longing to taste it since they had started messing around in the car, and decided he was done playing around with the idea. He could feel the shaft twitch, and pump in his grip, blood rushing in and swelling the skin as he flicked his tongue along it. He continued by wrapping his lips around it, drawing more of it into his mouth as he became braver. There was a slight wetness that seeped from the head that Mark could already taste. He knew what it was, but was surprised how different it was from what he’d been expecting. It wasn’t bad to him; it was Tom, perhaps that was the main ingredient that made all the difference.

All the while Tom had thrown his head back against the floor, his eyes clenched shut, and his bottom lip pressed hard between his teeth. He was already dipping his toes into heaven, just by the simple act of getting his dick sucked. Nothing else mattered.

He hadn’t know, however, how badly he had truly been aching for some form of relief throughout the evening. It probably had all started with Pete anyway. He was the one who decided to take a sexually frustrated Tom out all by himself and offer himself in a more than subtle manner to the male. Tom was still trying to figure out if he’d ever regret it, not sure it was really one of those things he could regret. Not very many people get to say they blew Pete Wentz, at least not many Tom knew.

Thinking about what he did with Pete probably wasn’t the best thing to think about while his own best friend was beginning to devour him. His entire attention was brought back to Mark, who was now only loosening up to take more of Tom into his mouth. There was a certain way the male’s mouth felt with his tongue pressed along the underside of Tom’s cock as he bobbed his head back and forward into it that made Tom ache even harder. His hips moved on their own to Mark’s pace, unable to control that part of his body as he started to lose all feeling.

Mark was getting used to the taste of the precum, which he could actually feel through Tom’s cock as it collected and leaked into his mouth more frequently now that he had his own technique down. However, he still needed to breathe, and there was a slight ache in his jaw developing the longer he strained himself to keep up. He pulled his head up, a string of saliva dripping from his lips and still connecting to the head of Tom’s cock. Tom breathed out as Mark panted, looking to each other to catch the other’s gaze. They smiled to one another the best they could, Tom unable to maintain his composure through the waves of pleasure still coursing through him, and slipping his eyes closed before too long to soak in the sensational ambiance.

Mark enjoyed the furrowed look of lust on Tom’s face, like he knew exactly what was going through the male’s mind. Of course it was a familiar look. He knew what it was like getting blown, he just didn’t know it’d look this good on Tom. It was yet another side to Tom he hadn’t ever had the pleasure of knowing, feeling oddly fortunate he was able to witness this. He lowered his head back to Tom’s cock, taking it back into his mouth and sighing at the soft, and plump feeling of it’s warm return. He savored the salty flavor filling his mouth once more, not sure if he was intimately ready to allow Tom to actually cum inside, though. He tried not to think about it. Even if it was the ultimate end, he still had a goal himself to fulfill; he just wanted to blow Tom, to taste him, and feel him writhe beneath him. That was about all Mark needed right now, and maybe to breathe once in awhile.

For Tom, it was hard to hold himself back from grabbing a handful of Mark’s hair and bring his head down further into him. He opted on clutching the blankets as hard as he could, and keeping his head back instead of watching what was happening. Mark was surprisingly good at what he was doing, even if he was hesitant at first with little licks here and there. The more confident he got, the more hungry he seemed, and handled Tom more expertly. He’d know what would feel good, Tom could only imagine what other tricks Mark had up his sleeve, tempted to open the floor to suggestions if he thought he could form coherent words.

“Mark, I’m getting close,” Tom could barely articulate, finally lifting his head to look down at the brunette completely involved in his task at hand. Mark broke his concentration to regard Tom briefly, dragging his tongue up the side of his cock at the same time. His hand continued to pump at the base, pulling it up to the head and collecting the layer of saliva he managed to slather all over it. It was a tad messy, but it provided a great lubrication to his movements at that moment.

“Thanks for the heads up,” Mark spoke against the skin as he kissed along it, pulling the head back into his mouth and getting back to what he had been doing before. Tom’s breath hitched immediately, again resisting the urge to move his hips to the motions. He was closer than he thought, but still had hoped to milk the situation of as much pleasure as he could before he finally reached his peak.

To be continued…


	29. Part 29

_“ I emitted some civetlike female stink, a distinct perfume of sexual wanting, that he had followed to find me here in the dark. ”_

Tom was pretty sure any minute now the door would fling open, a light would switch on, or someone would lean across to them and ask what the hell they were doing. He had spent the better part of the time ignoring that odd paranoia and focusing on Mark as much as he could.

There was still that fear something would go amiss, and he’d be caught frantically trying to cover Mark with what little blankets they had, and then trying to explain what it was they were doing. He wondered if Mark was at all worried, but didn’t dare stop him to ask. He knew it was stupid on his part to even worry, especially since all it did was take away from the moment.

He breathed heavily, taking in a deep inhale until his lungs ached, then let it out slowly, feeling somewhat more sensitive to Mark’s soft lips wrapped around him and allowing him entry into the warm, and wet mouth that invited him so readily. This is when he felt the urge to spill himself inside Mark the most, fighting the feeling as long as Mark would permit him. There were instances where Mark’s lips would move away so he could breath, and that gave Tom just a moment to build some semblance of composure to take at least a little more worship from Mark’s mouth.

He couldn’t help his hand anymore, finding it smoothing through Mark’s hair that began to slip between his fingers. It felt silky, and moist to the touch, just good enough to grip and hold on to if Tom felt so inclined. Mark breathed harder, ignoring the excess of his own saliva collected along the shaft.

He couldn’t tell if it was just him, or if what he was feeling was real. Tom’s cock seemed to become more heated, swelling even more inside his mouth as he felt the blood rush in more vigorously. That was probably a good indication to him, had he been worried about avoiding what he knew was coming next.

Tom didn’t say anything else, he honestly couldn’t anymore. He felt himself going over the edge, and there wasn’t a damn thing in the world he could do or say while he released himself in Mark’s mouth, which continued to take him in all the way through his orgasm. All Tom could remember was feeling the head of his cock hitting the back of Mark’s throat and a wild hot heat shoot through his lower extremities. His eyes slipped closed, unable to even see anymore, only white beyond the spray of lightning briefly illuminating the room.

He could hardly let out a noise, either, straining just to keep himself from face fucking his friend to finish off the euphoric sensation Mark was giving him just by him continuing until the deed had been completely done.

“Oh shit,” Tom finally breathed as quietly as he could, feeling Mark’s mouth retreat from his still throbbing and dripping mass. Mark couldn’t keep it all in, bringing up a hand to cup around his lips as he tried not to gag on whatever had made it in his mouth. It tasted much worse than he had thought, but the more he swished the substance around in his mouth with his tongue, the less sensitive he was to its bitterness. It was Tom, coating the inside of his mouth, essentially everything he had been working towards since he started touching his friend.

“It’s okay,” Mark assured in a whisper once he was able to finally swallow, using his shirt to wipe away the excess moisture around his mouth and dribbling down his chin. Tom joined in just seconds after, dabbing at Mark with his own shirt he had hurriedly removed to help Mark clean off, despite being a dripping mess himself in a much different location.

Mark smirked at Tom’s aid, moving to set beside him as Tom proceeded to wipe himself off. Tom discarded the shirt beside him, laying back next to Mark with a sense of disbelief floating around him, both still buzzing.

“I can’t believe what we just did,” Tom spoke softly, staring up into that the ceiling and watching the flash of lightning expose the room every so often. He honestly couldn’t figure out what he was supposed to think, still lingering on that high Mark had gotten him to with almost little to no effort except to give him an exceptional blowjob.

“I had fun,” Mark commented, looking to Tom with a genuine smile on his face as if to make certain Tom knew he was okay with everything had there existed any kind of apprehension inside Tom about the matter.

“Me too,” Tom retorted, turning in his side to curl his body into Mark’s. He laid his head onto his shoulder and slid his arm across his stomach, even bringing up a leg to cover one of Mark’s. They looked to each other for a long moment, staring through the dimly illuminated darkness at their shadowed faces, trying to make out the other’s eyes clearly. Tom wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to sleep, at least not for a while. Mark felt rather drained, yet wide awake. He didn’t understand it, but also wasn’t trying to fight it.

“Tom, you can’t tell anyone we did this,” Mark mentioned, finally blinking his eyes and looking over Tom’s face. Tom simply nodded, using his finger to draw a small pattern on an exposed patch of skin where Mark’s shirt had been raised on his lower stomach.

“You either,” Tom returned, looking to Mark seriously enough to reward him a light snort.

“Who am I gonna tell?” Mark asked, a faint undertone of deviousness lingering in his words.

“I don’t know, my mom?” Tom asked, not really taking himself seriously anymore. It was silly to bring it up, or even request it, but somehow they felt more comfortable once the both of them had agreed that was what they were going to do. Tom didn’t understand it but he felt lighter afterwards, experimenting by letting his eyes drift close.

“Good night,” Mark muttered, turning his head more and leaning to press a light kiss on Tom’s forehead, not really sure why he felt so compelled to add that little detail. Tom settled further in, relaxing against Mark but never returning his words. Mark felt Tom’s sigh of contentedness was enough of a response, turning his gaze to the ceiling and hoping that eventually the sandman would pay him a visit.

To be continued…


	30. Part 30 - Finale

_“ I am an orange construction cone, and I say to you, “Caution.” This is my advice for love—and for driving while blindfolded, which is safer than love. ”_

It hadn’t taken long, in fact Mark wasn’t even sure when it happened, but before he knew it he could feel a heat penetrating him, soon the sun greeting him in an unwelcome fashion as it spread out over their sleeping forms. It felt incredibly too hot to remain under the blankets, let alone pressed against another heat source. He stirred more, feeling more groggy than he ever had, as if he only had just a few minutes of sleep, which was quite possible considering his current disoriented state. He heard soft breathing beside him, prompting him to glance to the Tom’s sleeping form. He had almost forgotten Tom was there, too, only then the night before creeping back unto his mind, slowly but surely.

He slid the blankets off of him carefully as not to bother Tom, then started to stand, the ache in his bladder far too prominent and painful to simply ignore to waste another few minutes of trying to wake up. He could think after he took a piss. He didn’t know how he found the bathroom, but by the time Mark had left, more people had begun to wake up, or had already been awake, judging by the faint murmur of voices behind walls. He could hear conversations just beyond the hallway as he stepped back into the room, gathering his things first before he even thought to approach Tom.

“Hey,” Mark called out quietly, leaning down to touch his hand to Tom’s arm and nudge him gently. The younger man twitched at first, then eventually rolled about, grumbling as he came to life through Mark’s insistent but faint shoving. Mark smiled down at him, retreating his hand as soon as the other’s eyes were on him, honestly not sure if he was fully awake himself.

“It’s time to go,” Mark declared, picking up Tom’s shirt for him and balling it up in his hand. Tom still had a long sleeve undershirt, so Mark didn’t feel too bad for dirtying up his other one.

“Hm, alright, if you say so,” Tom responded through his daze, having that same sense of awareness as Mark as if he had never went to sleep. Just the short while he had his eyes closed seemed enough, somehow.

As soon as Tom was up, Mark began to make his way out of the room, having to step by someone coming in, which he guessed were there to perhaps collect their things from their campsite. He didn’t think about it too much, focusing on moving them out of the room. They were in a hallway now, which was confusing to Mark since he couldn’t exactly remember there being one.

Mark took a look down both ways before proceeding, hoping the way he chose was the one closest to the living room, and their exit. Though, it was only a few steps in either direction, it still made a lot of difference which one Mark decided to enter. Tom was right behind him, letting him guide the way for the time being until he decided it was safe enough to take his chances.

Tom pulled Mark aside, assuring they were alone before he guided the male against his chest, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Mark gave him a wide look of surprise, not to the point of protesting the action, just simply expressing his shock to receiving such a tender gesture from Tom so suddenly.

“Just in case you forgot,” Tom said quietly, holding onto Mark’s arm a little longer before letting his hand slip away. There wasn’t a chance in hell Tom could ever get the night before out of his memory, and he knew he never wanted to. But, at the same time he hoped it hadn’t also changed much of anything between them, which he seemed certain it hadn’t considering the way Mark kept reciprocating.

“I’ll never forget it, Tom, I couldn’t,” Mark replied soothingly, in essence reinforcing the promise he had already made to Tom. He felt rather vulnerable at that moment, but allowed himself to open up to his best friend, inwardly grateful he could even do that with someone. He never once dreamed of this level of comfort with anyone, especially Tom. Mark had wanted to steal another kiss when he spotted movement in his peripheral, opting on throwing his arms around Tom instead, and hugging him as tightly as he could.

“You ready to go home, buddy?” Mark asked as he pulled away, pausing a moment to watch Tom nod slowly. He turned on his heels, leading the way around the corner, and all the way through the living room he was glad he found until they came upon the door.

“Maybe we should say goodbye to Pete?” Tom suggested just behind him, stopping in his steps to see if Mark would follow suit. Mark continued however, pulling open the door and squinting at the sunlight pouring into the room.

“Nah, we’ll catch him some other time,” Mark said, waving his hand absently. Tom shrugged, ultimately indifferent to the matter himself, and followed the bassist outside and down the creaky steps again to the parking lot. They didn’t say anything as they climbed into the car and headed out of the lot, reflecting quietly on everything that had transgressed. Neither of them could really think of anything they could say to break the ice, now feeling a slight buzz of awkwardness with just the two of them, completely aware of the other.

After a while, Tom had started to tap his finger on the center console, though it wasn’t audible let alone noticeable to Mark. The trip back felt restless, like the horizon would never rise into the city they were familiar with, and the bleakness of the road would continue on forever. Finally, Tom twisted his head to Mark with a duplicitous grin sculpting his face.

“Hey, you wanna pull over Mark?” Tom’s playfulness danced on every syllable as he asked his simple yet insinuating inquiry. Mark had his head leaned on his hand from which his elbow supported as he had it perched on the door. He hadn’t been paying too much attention to the actual drive itself, his thoughts still lingering on that odd sense of fulfillment he felt just after he and Tom had fooled around. It was more strange to him he didn’t need to finish himself to find that feeling either.

“Don’t play with me boy,” Mark warned with a daring glance in Tom’s direction, catching his eyes for a brief moment before they both retreated to shyly giggle the whole indication away.

“I’m sorry, I’m just trying to pass the time,” Tom apologized, moving to finger one of the vents closer to him on the dashboard to play with it absently. He felt a sudden push on his arm, or rather a punch that ended up being a slightly forceful nudge. He looked up to Mark, smiling at him anxiously.

“The hell you apologizing for? Come on,” Mark quipped, his grin growing into a laugh spilling from his lips. Tom couldn’t help but join him, not even sure what they were laughing about after a few minutes of breathless guffawing.

“It’s not going to be weird, is it?” Tom was first to ask, as if the question had been some inevitable end they had both been subconsciously avoiding since they both woke up. Mark shook his head simply, seeming entirely sure of himself. Tom nodded in agreement, leaning over to return to his watch of the horizon as it continued its length into nowhere.

“Are we gonna tell Travis?” Tom added after a few silent minutes. Mark snorted at the idea, but again shook his head quietly, glancing over as Tom gave a shrug and sighed into the window, his warm breath catching on the glass.

“Maybe he could join us,” Mark conjectured offhandedly, looking away as Tom slowly turned to glare in his direction scoffing at the thought, and unable able to hide the playful smile creeping across his lips.

“Mark Hoppus,” Tom pronounced in disbelief, as if the idea had been too absurd. “Now you’re being weird,” Tom went on to say, turning his gaze back outside the window with a lingering smile accentuating his lips.

“That’s why you love me,” Mark returned with a soft inaudible laugh, before he too returned his gaze to the road ahead, allowing the cabin of the car to fall into a comfortable silence for the rest of the ride home.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry for what you just read...


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